Control of Aircraft — Page 337, Lesson 444

Right, let's pick this up with the aerodrome controller's duties. We've covered the runway vacated report, so now I want to walk you through three specific responsibilities: essential local traffic, the "Land After" clearance, and flight information. First, essential local traffic. This is a defined term. It consists of any aircraft, vehicle, or personnel on or near the runway to be used, or traffic in the take-off, climb-out, or final approach areas, which may constitute a collision hazard to a departing or arriving aircraft. The controller must transmit information on this traffic to both departing and arriving aircraft. So if there's a vehicle working near the threshold, or another aircraft in the climb-out path, the pilot gets told about it. Now, the "Land After" clearance. This is a provisional clearance that can be given under certain conditions. The idea is to increase runway utilization at peak times, allowing aircraft to arrive at one-minute intervals. The second aircraft's pilot gets a provisional clearance to land after the preceding aircraft. Here's the key shift in responsibility: the pilot of the second aircraft decides if the preceding aircraft will be clear of the runway at the time of landing, and that there is sufficient separation throughout the manoeuvre. The pilot must be able to see the previous aircraft throughout the landing and is responsible for maintaining separation. They apply visual separation, which may be less than procedural separation. The provision of fast turn-off lanes or rapid exit taxiways enhances this option. Now, the necessary conditions for a "Land After" clearance are strict. It's only permitted during daylight. The pilot of the second aircraft must be able to see the preceding aircraft throughout the manoeuvre. The runway must be dry, meaning braking action is good. The pilot and operator must be aware that runway occupancy time is limited to 50 seconds. And the ATCO must be able to see the entire length of the landing runway. Finally, flight information. As with all other ATSUs, the aerodrome controller is responsible for providing flight information to aircraft on the aerodrome or in flight in the vicinity. Routine information may be passed using ATIS, but the controller is responsible for making sure that departing and arriving aircraft, at initial contact with 'tower', are aware of any limitations to radio navigation or visual aids on the aerodrome. Likewise, any work in progress on the aerodrome must be reported in a timely manner. So to tie it together: essential local traffic is about collision hazards, "Land After" is a conditional clearance with specific visual and runway conditions, and flight information is the controller's ongoing duty to keep pilots informed of limitations and work in progress.