ATC Operational Control, Is It Necessary?

Atc Operational Control- Is It Necessary?

This article will focus on the somewhat unusual practice of Australian Air Traffic Control authorities exercising operational control over all aircraft operating in controlled airspace. As in previous issues my knowledge is confined to operating Boeing 747 aircraft in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) operations – the procedures as applied to general aviation aircraft may be different to those applied to RPT aircraft.

First of all let us consider the need for operational control. Of all the countries in the world to which Qantas operate, Australia is the only one to exercise ‘operational control’. The Department of Aviation argument is, of course, that by exercising this control over aircraft they are achieving a better safety record and a more orderly system of Air Traffic Control. Overall the Australian aviation safety record is very good compared to the rest of the world but I believe it is rather like comparing oranges and apples because the weather conditions in this country are much more favourable than many parts of the globe.

Closing airports when airports are experiencing marginal conditions is one way to achieve a good safety record but I would suggest that it is a very good example of overkill. Australia has not one Category 2 ILS (Instrument Landing System) available anywhere. This means that the landing visibility required is immediately increased from 400 to 800 metres and the ceiling required goes up from 100 to 200 feet. The increase in visibility is the significant factor here.

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