In the United States, airspace responsibility is split amongst many entities in order to ensure safe air travel and operations. Our airspace is divided into 21 different "zones", and those zones are divided even further into their own sectors. Each zone is divided into 50 mile diameter sections of airspace called Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) airspaces. In these TRACON airspaces are smaller individual airspaces of 5 mile radii that airports are in charge of.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs the entire air traffic control system, composed of 5 divisions. 1) Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC), in charge of all air traffic control especially when something bad happens like bad weather, or inoperative runways; 2) air route traffic control centers (ARTCC), one for each center to manage air traffic; 3) terminal radar approach control (TRACON), for departing and approaching aircraft; 4) air traffic control tower (ATCT), one at each airport to manage takeoff/landing and ground traffic; and 5) flight service station (FSS), which provides flight information like weather, route, terrain, and flight plans, especially during emergencies like search and rescue operations. Today I'd like to compare and contrast the responsibilities of the ARTCC and the ATCT.
The ARTCC and the ATCT both deal with aircraft traffic, ensuring safety with all aircraft during movement by tracking them at all times while in their respective airspace. However, ARTCC manages traffic in all sectors except for TRACON and local airport airspace. ATCT on the other hand, is stationed at every airport and is in charge of managing all GROUND traffic, and takeoffs/landings.
Word Count: 262
Sources:
Freudenrich, C. (2021). How Air Traffic Control Works. How Stuff Works. Retrieved on March 2, 2022
from https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/air-traffic-
control.htm#:~:text=The%20air%20traffic%20control%20in,and%20%E2%80%9CFlight%20Servi
ce%20Station%E2%80%9D.
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