Air Traffic Awareness

Tom Turners February 2019 article, The Big Picture, highlighted for me that we should find ways to continuously improve the way we operate within the National Airspace System (NAS) and one way I can help-to give back, if you will-is to try explaining to pilots more about what goes on in the towers, Tracons and Centers throughout the U.S. Its not mysterious or difficult to understand, but it may be different from what you have been told, or told to expect.

Eric Lyn

Sunday, March 17, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Written by a pilot and air traffic controller, the article aims to demystify ATC operations and encourage pilots to improve their understanding and interaction within the National Airspace System.
Pilots should adopt specific communication habits, including thoroughly listening to ATIS and radio frequencies, making concise calls, recording clearances, reading back instructions, and maintaining strong situational awareness.
Pilots retain ultimate responsibility for flight safety, including the decision to accept or refuse clearances, performing effective visual traffic scans, and understanding that electronic aids like TIS-B provide proximity warnings for visual acquisition, not collision avoidance.

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M y career in aviation started in 2006, when I earned my private pilot certificate flying in some of the most congested airspace in the world. Today, I fly mainly Cessnas, but over the years have logged time in Pipers, Diamonds and other aircraft types. My passion for aviation took me to the point where the FAA accepted me as a trainee and I started a career as an air traffic controller in 2014.

Tom Turner’s February 2019 article, “The Big Picture,” highlighted for me that we should find ways to continuously improve the way we operate within the National Airspace System (NAS) and one way I can help—to give back, if you will—is to try explaining to pilots more about what goes on in the towers, Tracons and Centers throughout the U.S. It’s not mysterious or difficult to understand, but it may be different from what you have been told, or told to expect.