Air traffic controllers prevent "wrong surface landings" at adjacent airports by explicitly identifying both the intended airport and any potentially confusing nearby airports to pilots.
They manage intersecting flight paths using the "divergence rule," allowing aircraft to pass safely closer than standard minimums if their courses diverge by more than 15 degrees and one passes behind the other.
For departures, especially when conflicting with arrivals or other departures, ATC employs a "call for release" system, creating necessary gaps in traffic streams through coordination between Approach and tower controllers (or between towers).
It’s not fun trying to make a left turn out of my neighborhood. It exits onto a busy, six-lane road. There’s no traffic light, just a gap in the median.
Cutting across steady traffic demands patience, timing, and good judgment. Mistakes can be costly. The asphalt is littered with shrapnel from cars whose owners tried to hit a gap and failed violently.
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