Monday, May 29, 2017

air traffic control

we live close to the approach path of heathrow airport ... my work takes me close to the airport at gatwick ... i've become fascinated by the precise control and organization of aircraft movements in the small space between them ... i've only just realized how much air traffic is in motion across the globe ... this website led me there ...

https://www.flightradar24.com/9.08,-0.92/2 ...

















it is a seamless real time monitor that you can zoom in to and you can identify individual flights, following their course and progress

there is a long article on air traffic control in wikipedia that deals with the complexities and challenges of the various systems in use around the world, and their integration protocols

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_traffic_control

our local air traffic control is under the supervision of NATS and their mapping of the system is an eye-opener for me

http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=93&Itemid=142.html

their mapping and documentation is a model of clarity ... as far as a layman can tell ... for example ...

http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-2A08D280A7AC5FD7E966180857238322/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/Charts/AD/AIRAC/EG_AD_2_EGKK_2-2_en_2017-03-30.pdf

at gatwick it is interesting to see the "double-decker" A380 come and go, and lately i've been reading a blog by a man who sits in the flight deck of one such ... he's just written a short article about airport ground control etiquette and about the larger issue of the future of air traffic control ...

https://a380flightdeck.tumblr.com/post/160981405075/air-traffic-control-system-desperately-needs