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DRAFT Contribute to maintaining the separation of aircraft on or near the ground

URN: PPLAOG37
Business Sectors (Suites): Aviation Operations on the Ground
Developed by: People 1st
Approved on: 2021

Overview

This standard is about contributing to maintaining the separation of aircraft on or near the ground. In air traffic control, separation is the name for the concept of keeping an aircraft outside a minimum distance from another aircraft to reduce the risk of those aircraft colliding, as well as prevent accidents due to secondary factors, such as wake turbulence. This involves contributing to the formulation of air traffic control clearances, the planning and control of aircraft and monitoring the progress of aircraft on or near the ground. This also involves understanding flight plan data and taking action if this data is incorrect.

This standard is for those working in airports/airfields in air traffic control roles.


When you have completed this standard, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge of and ability to:
• Contribute to maintaining the separation of aircraft on or near the ground

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

1. Evaluate the accuracy of flight plan data and take the required action to respond to incorrect flight plan data in line with organisational procedures 2. Assess the request for air traffic control clearance in relation to the resources available and other traffic in the area 3. Apply separation standards with the required agencies in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements 4. Contribute to the formulation of air traffic control clearances in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements  5. Record clearances issued in line with your organisation's procedures and relevant legal requirements 6. Contribute to the planning and control of aircraft to maintain the separation of aircraft on or near the ground in line with your organisation's procedures and relevant legal requirements 7. Use flight plan and other information sources to formulate control instructions in line with your organisation's procedures and relevant legal requirements 8. Issue aircraft start up approval in line with your organisation's procedures and relevant legal requirements 9. Pass on taxi instructions in line with your organisation's procedures and relevant legal requirements 10. Operate the required aircraft control equipment in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements 11. Contribute to monitoring the progress of aircraft on or near the ground in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements 12. Monitor and maintain aircraft separation standards using the required methods and equipment in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements 13. Take the required action to rectify any deviations from separation standards in line with organisational procedures and relevant legal requirements 14. Contribute to developing instructions to be given to aircraft in line with organisational procedures 15. Co-ordinate actions with other agencies and provide the required information to them in line with organisational procedures 16. Report any failures of procedures or equipment to your supervisor in line with your organisation's procedures 

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

1. The required aircraft separation standards, and the legal requirements and organisational systems and procedures for maintaining them 2. Your role and responsibilities for contributing to maintaining the separation of aircraft on or near the ground 3. How to use the required standard terms and phrases when communicating 4. Your organisation’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for contributing to the formulation of air traffic control clearances 5. How and when to issue air traffic control clearances 6. How to identify airport/airfield resource availability  7. The airport/airfield’s ground procedures 8. How to co-ordinate responses to requests 9. How to evaluate and analyse flight plan data  10. Your organisation’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for recording clearances issued  11. How to identify and report potential aircraft traffic conflictions to your supervisor and the types of avoiding action to take in response 12. How and when to communicate and co-ordinate with other agencies 13. Your organisation’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for contributing to the planning and control of aircraft 14. How to formulate control instructions appropriate to flight plan and other information sources 15. Your organisation’s procedures for passing on taxi instructions 16. The airport/airline traffic zone and radar perimeters 17. The aircraft operating characteristics 18. Your organisation’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for issuing aircraft start up approval  19. How to contribute to the control and co-ordination of aircraft on or near the ground and operate aircraft control equipment 20. Your organisation’s procedures and relevant legal requirements for monitoring and maintaining aircraft separation standards  21. Your organisation’s vectoring, speed control, navigational assistance, terrain clearance and vortex wake spacing procedures 22. Your organisation’s procedures for verbal communication 23. The methods and equipment used to monitor the progress of aircraft, including radar and procedural method 24. The radar advisory, information and control services, how to monitor radar displays, conduct handovers and identification, and the actions to take in the event of radar failure 25. How to contribute to monitoring the progress of aircraft on or near the ground 26. The actions to take to rectify deviations from separation standards 27. How to identify and report any failures of procedures or equipment to your supervisor in line with organisational procedures 28. Your organisation's recording and reporting procedures

Scope/range

Resource availability includes:
a) Runway length
b) Runway availability
c) Taxiway stands
d) Airport/airfield lighting

Other traffic in the area includes:
a) Current
b) Predicted
c) On the ground 
d) In the air

Clearances include:
a) Take off clearance
b) Runway clearance
c) Landing clearance

Flight plan data includes:
a) Flight progress slips
b) Electronic flight progress strip (EFPS)
c) Electronic display data (EDD)
d) Data lines
e) Fight plans

Aircraft separation standards include:
a) Vertical
b) Horizontal
c) Standard
d) Increased
e) Reduced 
f) Deemed
Relevant agencies include:
a) ATSUs
b) AFIS
c) A/G units
d) ATCC sectors
e) Operators
f) Aerodrome authorities

Control instructions relate to:
a) Flight profile
b) Circuit joining instructions
c) Co-ordination with approach control 
d) Other traffic information

Control instructions take account of 
a) The validity of flight plan
b) Existing traffic 
c) Possible traffic

Taxi instructions include:
a) Departure runway holding point
b) Air temperature
c) Wind velocity
d) Airport/airlfield QNH
e) Stand number
f) Taxiway
g) Information on other aircraft
h) Clearance limit
i) Push back clearance

Control equipment includes:
a) ATM
b) SMR
c) ADIS
d) CCTV
e) IRVR
f) Computer systems
g) Rotary hydraulic arrester gear
h) Safe land barriers

Aircraft control and co-ordination include:
a) Obtaining information
b) Updating flight plan
c) Establishing category and type of aircraft
d) Prioritising

Start up approval relates to:
a) Departure runway
b) Air temperature
c) Wind velocity
d) Airport/airfield QNH
e) Weather conditions

Radar perimeters include:
a) Range
b) Video maps
c) Offsets
d) Suppresser
e) Primary radar
f) Secondary radar

Information to communicate incudes:
a) Time intervals between aircraft
b) Issue and revision of EATs 
c) Issue and revision of ETAs

Scope Performance

Scope Knowledge

Values

Behaviours

Skills

Glossary

Organisational standards are those relating to air traffic control unless otherwise specified.

Separation standards are provided in accordance with (iaw) the airspace classification the Air System is operating within and any extra military specific requirements. A reduction in separation may impact on the Risk to Life associated with mid air collision. Prescribed separation criteria is required in order to maintain a safe and expeditious flow of air traffic.

Aviation terms and phrases have been standardised to improve communication and safety across the global aviation industry. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) set out the common language used for verbal communication including radiotelephony, the phonetic alphabet and phraseology to be used.

ADT

Approved Departure Time

EFPS

Electronic Flight Progress Strip

EATs

Estimated Approach Time System

ETAs

Estimated Time of Arrival

RT

Radiotelephony

ATSUs

Air Traffic Services Units

AFIS

Aerodrome Flight Information Service

A/G units

Air/Ground Communications Unit

ATCC

Air Traffic Control Centre

ATM

Air Traffic Management/Aerodrome Traffic Monitor

SMR

Surface Movement Radar

ADIS

Airport Display Information System

CCTV

Close Circuit Television

IRVR

Instrumented Runway Visual Range

QNH

Altitude above mean sea level based on local station pressure

Links To Other NOS

External Links

Version Number

2

Indicative Review Date

2026

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

GoSkills

Original URN

GSKAOG37

Relevant Occupations

Transport Drivers and Operatives, Transport Operations and Maintenance

SOC Code

8233

Keywords

data, flight plans, flight plan data, separation standards