Australian air traffic control
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Air Traffic Control in Australia is provided by two different agencies, one civilian and one military. The civilian provider is Airservices Australia, which controls civilian airfields and airspace. The military provider is the Royal Australian Air Force, which controls military airfields and airspace (This includes Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy aviation bases). Some airfields in Australia are categorised as Joint User airfields, meaning that there are both civilian and military operations based at the airfield. Normally, Joint User airfields are controlled by the RAAF.
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[edit] Military Air Traffic Control
Although historically each of the three services had its own air traffic controllers, the Royal Australian Air Force exclusively provides air traffic control services to the Australian Defence Force.
44 Wing (44WG) was formed to centrally manage ATC personnel and facilities at 11 Defence bases. 44 Wing is an Air Command unit, belonging to the Surveillance and Response Group. Each base has its own 44WG detachment which manages air traffic control services at the base, although is ultimately commanded from HQ44WG in Williamtown, NSW.
The RAAF provide both Tower and Approach services, and in some cases a limited Centre (or en route) service. However, centre services are normally amalgamated with approach control. Two bases, Richmond and Edinburgh, provide only a Tower service, given their close proximity to Sydney and Adelaide respectively. Civilian ATC provide approach services to these bases.
Tower and Approach services are normally located within the control tower or an adjacent building. Unlike civilian ATC, no approach or en route services are provided remotely.
Currently, all military ATC units use the Australian Defence Air Traffic System.
[edit] Military ATC Units
[edit] Royal Australian Air Force
- RAAF Base Amberley - 44WG DET AMB (Tower and Approach)
- RAAF Base Darwin - 44WG DET DAR (Tower and Approach)
- RAAF Base East Sale - 44WG DET ESL (Tower and Approach)
- RAAF Base Edinburgh - 44WG DET EDN (Tower only)
- RAAF Base Pearce - 44WG DET PEA (Tower, Approach and Centre)
- RAAF Base Richmond - 44WG DET RIC (Tower only)
- RAAF Base Tindal - 44WG DET TDL (Tower and Approach)
- RAAF Base Townsville - 44WG DET TVL (Tower and Approach)
- RAAF Base Williamtown - 44WG DET WLM (Tower, Approach and Centre)
- RAAF Gin Gin - (Pearce provides a Tower and Approach service)
[edit] Royal Australian Navy
- HMAS Albatross Naval Air Station Nowra - 44WG DET NWA (Tower and Approach)
- Jervis Bay Airfield (Nowra provides Approach services only, there is no Tower service)
[edit] Australian Army
- Army Aviation Centre/Army Airfield Oakey - 44WG DET OAK (Tower and Approach)
[edit] Joint User Airfields
- Darwin International Airport - (co-located with RAAF Base Darwin)
- Townsville International Airport - (co-located with RAAF Base Townsville)
- Newcastle Airport - (co-located with RAAF Base Williamtown)
[edit] Civilian Air Traffic Control
Airservices Australia (AsA) is a government owned corporation that provides air traffic control services, as well as other related services such as airfield fire services.
Like military air traffic control, AsA provide Tower, Approach and Centre (en route) services.
Currently, most Airservices Australia ATC units use The Australian Advanced Air Traffic System.
[edit] Towers
[edit] Major Airports
- Adelaide (ADL), SA
- Brisbane (BNE), QLD
- Cairns (CNS), QLD
- Canberra (CBR), ACT
- Gold Coast/Coolangatta (OOL), QLD
- Melbourne (MEL), VIC
- Perth (PER), WA
- Sydney (SYD), NSW
[edit] Regional / Minor Metropolitan Airports
- Albury, NSW
- Alice Springs, NT
- Avalon, VIC
- Coffs Harbour, NSW
- Essendon, VIC
- Hamilton Island, QLD
- Hobart, TAS
- Launceston, TAS
- Mackay, QLD
- Maroochydoore (Sunshine Coast), QLD
- Rockhampton, QLD
- Tamworth, NSW
[edit] General Aviation (GA) Airports
- Archerfield, QLD
- Bankstown, NSW
- Jandakot, WA
- Moorabbin, VIC
- Parafield, SA
[edit] Approach Units
- Adelaide, SA
- Brisbane, QLD (Located at Brisbane Centre)
- Cairns, QLD
- Canberra, ACT (Located at Melbourne Centre)
- Melbourne, VIC (Located at Melbourne Centre)
- Perth, WA
- Sydney, NSW
[edit] Centre (En route) Units
Australia manages 11% of the world's airspace, including very large portions of the Indian and Southern oceans, and parts of the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. The airspace consists of two Flight Information Regions (FIR), the Brisbane FIR and the Melbourne FIR. Each FIR has its own centre to run en route services.
[edit] Brisbane Centre
The Brisbane FIR consists of New South Wales north of Sydney, all of Queensland, most of the Northern Territory and the northern half of Western Australia. It also contains the Australian Tasman Sea airspace. Due to the nature of the airspace it controls most international flights in and out of Australia (except Indian Ocean flights), and domestic flights operating to airports within the FIR. As only two of eight capitals are located in the Brisbane FIR, it handles a lesser volume of traffic than Melbourne centre. However, Sydney is on the border of the two FIRs, and thus Brisbane Centre has control of flights arriving or departing in Sydney from the North.
Brisbane Centre is located adjacent to Brisbane Tower at Brisbane International Airport. It also contains Brisbane Approach.
[edit] Melbourne Centre
The Melbourne FIR consists of all other Australian airspace outside the Brisbane FIR. This includes Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales south of Sydney, most of South Australia and the southern half of Western Australia. It also contains the Australian Indian and Southern Ocean airspace. Apart from International flights arriving from the Indian Ocean, most International flights will pass through Brisbane Centre first. However, as the FIR contains six of the eight capital cities, a very large portion of domestic flights are controlled from Melbourne Centre.
Melbourne Centre is located adjacent to Melbourne Tower at Melbourne International Airport. It also contains Melbourne Approach and Canberra Approach.
