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Radio / FSS


Clearance Apron / Ground Tower Terminal Centre Radio / FSS


Photo: NAV CANADA.

Description

Flight service stations come in two variations: Flight information Centres (FIC), and Airport radios.

Flight Information Centres provide weather information, traffic information based on known flight plans, and flight planning services to en route aircraft. They also open/close flight plans and relay IFR clearances to aircraft un uncontrolled airspace, or at uncontrolled airports where there is no airport radio. Canada has 9 FICs, located in Halifax, Quebec City, London Ontario, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Kamloops, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, and North Bay (Arctic radio). FICs are not simulated on IVAO.

Airport radios provide weather information, traffic information, relays IFR clearances, and manages VFR clearances for a given airport, and occasionally multiple airports. The services provided resemble Clearance, Ground and Tower rolled into one, but instead of issuing instructions and clearances they only suggest actions to pilots - and the pilot makes the final decision. Airport radios are simulated on IVAO.

Area of responsibility

Flight Information centres (FIC) are responsible for providing service to all aircraft within their respective regions. These regions do not match FIRs. A diagram is available here. Airport radios are responsible for the Mandatory Frequency (MF) zone around their respective aerodromes: generally, it is 5nm in diameter, surface to 3000ft AAL.

What you need to know

In addition to the general guidelines a FSS operator must:

  • Be familiar with the Clearance delivery SOP;
  • Know how to provide traffic information;
  • Be an "expert" in weather.

Important: All IVAO controllers, regardless of division, MUST have passed an oral evaluation with the CA-AOC, CA-TC, or local FIR chief before attempting to control a Flight service station, or airport radio. FSS operators must be at least S3.

Procedures

Flight service specialists provide the airport advisory service (AAS), as well as vehicle control service, ATC support, weather monitoring, flight plans management, and many other tasks. Underline services are the ones that are simulated on IVAO. Before opening a FSS position, make sure you have the appropriate sector file for the airport you are going to be working at. It is also important to have all charts (IFR + VFR), and be familiar with your airport entry in CFS. The main thing to remember when acting as FSS is to never give instructions or clearances, unless it is being relayed on behalf of other IFR unit. In that case, we will use "ATC clears" or "ATC instructs".

On initial contact with an airplane, determine his identification, aircraft type, position, altitude, intentions (ETA, etc.). When you have everything in hand and know exactly what the pilot intends to do, provide AAS:

  • Preferred runway (or active runway if a runway is being used);
  • Wind;
  • Altimeter setting;
  • Traffic information (any aircraft in conflict);
  • Weather information + PIREPs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs;
  • NOTAMs, RSC/CRFI;
  • Any other significant information that might have an impact on pilot's intentions.

ACA123, active runway 22, wind 200 at 10, altimeter 2993, traffic Boeing 737 4 miles final runway 22

JZA7802, request you extend downwind, traffic Airbus 320 taxiing for departure of runway 22

Afterwards, confirm pilot's intentions. Intended runway, turn after departure, intentions to join circuit at arrival... Monitor aircraft evolution, ask for position reports if you are not able to see the aircraft on the radar, and make sure pilots are aware of others and can see them. It is possible to provide options for pilots to avoid each other, and in the worst case, you can request something. But don't forget, you are not allowed to give instructions. These are only requests and it's up to the pilot to decide what to do.

Hand off

  • Airport radios hand departing IFR traffic to the competent ACC unit once airborne, before passing 2000ft. Departures still have to monitor FSS frequency until leaving the zone. FSS will receive arriving IFR traffic once cleared for an approach, usually between 10 and 30 miles out. VFR traffic mush contact airport radios at least 5 minutes prior to entering their zone.

IvAc settings

We recommend airport radios use the same settings as towers would: Use the NARDS colour scheme (available in the downloads section) with Ground detail, VORs, NDBs, Runway centrelines, LO airspace and LO airways turned on. Set your altitude filter to the top of your control zone + 1200ft (e.g. CZ is SFC-3200; you would set the filter to SFC-4400ft), and use a range between 12 and 25nm, or as specified in the airport procedures.

See ATC school documentation on FSS/Radio position.