ATC Knowledge Test - Candidate Pre-Learning Information NATS April 2019 PDF

Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test Candidates Pre-Learning April 2019 Prepared by: Talent Acquisition NATS Protected Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 2 Table of contents 1. Important Information 3 2....

Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test Candidates Pre-Learning April 2019 Prepared by: Talent Acquisition NATS Protected Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 2 Table of contents 1. Important Information 3 2. Introduction 4 3. NATS Overview 5 4. Air Traffic Control in UK 6 5. Aerodrome Controller 10 6. Approach Controller 11 7. Area Controllers 12 8. Controlled Airspace 13 9. Uncontrolled Airspace 15 10. Air Traffic Control over the Atlantic 16 11. Separation 18 12. Technologies relevant to air traffic control 19 12.1. Tools and Trajectories 19 12.1.1. Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) 19 12.1.2. Time Based Separation (TBS) 19 12.1.3. Radar 19 12.1.4. Primary Radar 19 12.1.5. Secondary Radar 20 12.1.6. Mode S 20 12.1.7. Conformance monitoring 20 13. Navigational Aids 21 14. The Aircraft That Use The System 22 15. Useful Websites 26 15.1.1. NATS 26 15.1.2. Civil Aviation Authority 26 15.1.3. Eurocontrol 26 15.1.4. SESAR 26 15.1.5. European Aviation Safety Agency 26 NATS Protected Page 2 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 3 1. Important Information Welcome to the NATS guideline document to Air Traffic Control. This online document should provide the foundation for your ATC studies when attending the initial Air Traffic Control Officer’s (ATCO) recruitment tests with NATS. You will be tested on the content of this document throughout the application process therefore it can not be stressed enough how important it is for you to learn the information enclosed. NATS Protected Page 3 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 4 2. Introduction The following document is designed to explain some aspects of what an Air Traffic Controller’s job entails and some information about the services which NATS provides, and other aeronautical information. After completion of training at one of the NATS training centres, successful candidates will be posted to join the team of professionals who work for NATS at the various units across the country. The information in this document should be used as an aid to developing your understanding of the role of an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) and Air Traffic Control in the UK. At the Stage 3 assessment day you will be tested on the content of this document so it is imperative that you learn it thoroughly. The knowledge test will focus only on the content of this document. You do not need to conduct any wider reading or research. There are regular changes to technologies and practices within air traffic control. This document is updated periodically and it may not reflect all recent developments. For the purposes of the Stage 3 knowledge test you should assume that the information in this document is correct. NATS Protected Page 4 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 5 3. NATS Overview NATS provides Air Traffic Control in the skies over the UK, over part of the North Atlantic and at many airfields across the United Kingdom. Air traffic in UK airspace is varied, ranging from modern airliners on scheduled flights to the small single-engine light aircraft used by private pilots. Apart from its day-to-day operational responsibilities, NATS is engaged in planning the development of the ATC infrastructure to meet the projected future demand in civil air traffic. NATS has been a part-privatised company since 2001 with ownership divided across several stakeholders with the majority share held by the Government, and the rest as shown below. Government Airline Group HAL Ltd. Employees 49% 42% 4% 5% European CAA NATS Commission NERL NSL Figure 1 NATS Ownership structure NATS Protected Page 5 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 6 4. Air Traffic Control in UK Airspace over the UK is divided into two Flight Information Regions (FIRs), called London and Scottish. The London FIR covers the majority of England and Wales and is controlled by the London Area Control Centre at Swanwick in Hampshire. The Centre started operating in January 2002, the operations room in Swanwick contains:
London Area Control Centre (LACC), which manages en-route traffic in the London Flight Information Region. This includes en-route airspace over England and Wales up to the Scottish border.
London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC), which handles traffic below 24,500 feet flying to or from London’s airports. This area, one of the busiest in Europe, extends south and east to the borders of France and Netherlands, west towards Bristol and north to near Birmingham.
Military Air Traffic Control. Control Military controllers provide services to civil and military aircraft operating outside controlled airspace. They work closely with civilian controllers to ensure safe co-ordination of traffic. Figure 2 Operations room at Swanwick The Scottish FIR, which covers the whole of Scotland and Northern Ireland and the immediate surrounding areas, is controlled by the Scottish En-route centre at Prestwick. The operations room in Prestwick combines: Scottish Area Control Centre (ScACC), which controls aircraft over Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England, the Midlands, North Wales and the North Sea from 2,500 feet up to 66,000 feet. NATS Protected Page 6 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 7
Oceanic Area Control Centre (OACC), which controls the airspace over the eastern half of the North Atlantic from the Azores (45 degrees north) to a boundary with Iceland (61 degrees north). Figure 3 Operations room at Prestwick NATS Protected Page 7 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 8 Figure 4 UK Airways Structure NATS Protected Page 8 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 9 NATS is responsible for providing air traffic services under competitive contracts to a variety of airfields in the United Kingdom as well as the airspace above the UK and into the North Atlantic. Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) are responsible for the safe, orderly and efficient movement of aircraft, from the moment it leaves the departure gate to the moment the aircraft arrives at it’s destination gate. Whether controllers are working in a Control Tower or an Area Centre the role will incorporate one or more of the following responsibilities: Preventing collisions between aircraft in the air. Assisting in preventing collisions between aircraft moving on the apron and the manoeuvring area. Assisting in preventing collisions between aircraft and obstructions on the manoeuvring area. Expediting and maintaining an orderly flow of air traffic. of air traffic. Controllers are provided with details of any flight that intends to fly through the airspace they are responsible for, or any flight that is due to arrive/ depart from an aerodrome. The callsign, route, altitude and speed of the intended flight are, amongst other details displayed on an electronic or paper flight progress strip which is generated by the ATC computers when a flight plan is filed. These details help the controllers plan for the aircraft and to solve any potential conflictions. The Controllers use the paper or electronic flight progress strips in conjunction with radar and other displays to monitor the progress of the aircraft, either on the surface of the airport or in the proximity of the airfield or through an en-route sector. Controllers and pilots usually communicate using Very High Frequency (VHF) radio, except over the Atlantic, where they communicate using High Frequency (HF) radio. Any instruction that the controller issues to an aircraft in this way must be read back by the pilot. Controllers must communicate with each other to pass details of flights as they move from one sector to another. Often the information is passed by a computer link but controllers also use telephones to communicate with these adjacent sectors. This rule also applies if the next sector is one inside an adjacent centre's airspace. The UK must co- ordinate with Air Traffic Control Centres in Dublin, Shannon, Brest, Paris, Brussels, Maastricht and Copenhagen. Likewise these adjacent centres must inform the UK about flights approaching UK airspace. NATS Protected Page 9 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 10 5. Aerodrome Controller The Aerodrome Controller (sometimes (sometimes referred to as Tower Controller) is responsible for the safety and movement of the aircraft on the airfield from the time it pushes back from stand, to departing and vice versa. The Aerodrome Controller will issue instructions for the aircraft to push back from stand, taxi to and from the runway, and issue clearances to take off and land. The runway in use and direction of arrivals and departures will be dependant on the wind conditions, aircraft prefer to land and depart into wind. In addition, Aerodrome Controllers will also issue routings and clearances to the aircraft prior to departure and ensure the safe movement of all vehicles that are moving around the airfield. At busier units, the task of an Aerodrome Controller may be split between a number of controllers who will take elements of the task to focus on. In general terms, it is split between runway specific tasks (commonly referred to as ‘AIR’) and movement between the stands and the runway vicinity (commonly referred to as ‘GROUND’) Figure 5 View from Heathrow Control Tower NATS Protected Page 10 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 11 6. Approach Controller Approach Controllers take over from Area Controllers as the aircraft is approaching the airport. They give initial clearance for the aircraft to approach the airport and put all approaching aircraft into a sequence to create the most efficient order for landing. They will also be responsible in some cases for the initial phase of flight after the aircraft departs an aerodrome before being transferred to Area Control, and any other flights transiting the immediate airspace surrounding the aerodrome. The Approach Controller, if using radar, will issue the aircraft with headings, altitudes, speeds and any other relevant information to guide it towards the final approach path for the runway in use. The spacing between aircraft depends on a number of factors, such as the prevailing weather conditions, the size of the aircraft involved and the number of aircraft waiting to depart. Larger aircraft create more wake turbulence than smaller aircraft and Approach Controllers must provide the correct turbulence wake separation between aircraft on the final approach track. For example, a Boeing 737, which is in the medium wake turbulence category, must approach the airport 5 miles behind a Boeing 747, which is classed in the heavy wake turbulence category. However, if the 747 were to follow the 737, a distance of only 3 miles would be required. At major airfields there are “holds”, which aircraft may be required to enter if a delay is expected. There are inner and outer holds. For example, Heathrow has 4 inner holds, while Gatwick and Stansted have only 2 inner holds. Approach Controllers are often based at the airfield for which they provide the service, although NATS provides the approach function for the London airports from the Terminal Control Operations room at Swanwick. Inbound aircraft are transferred from an Approach Controller to an Aerodrome Controller, when they are between 6 - 12 miles from the runway. NATS Protected Page 11 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 12 7. Area Controllers Area controllers are responsible for aircraft in the climb, descent and en-route phase of the flight. Area Controllers will issue levels, headings and speeds to separate aircraft, providing a safe and expeditious routing to the exit point of their sector. Agreement with the next sector/controller along the route of the aircraft is a major function of the role and each aircraft will be transferred along the line according to set conditions every time it leaves and enters a new sector. Figure 6 Radar picture Within the FIRs there are two main categories of airspace - 'controlled' and 'uncontrolled'. The classification of the airspace within a FIR determines the flight rules which apply, the minimum services which are to be provided and are generically termed controlled and uncontrolled airspace. There are presently five classes of airspace in the UK, classes A, C, D and E are classes for controlled airspace and class G outside controlled airspace. NATS Protected Page 12 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 13 8. Controlled Airspace Controlled airspace is provided primarily to protect its users, mostly commercial airliners, and as such, aircraft which fly in controlled airspace must be equipped to a certain standard and their pilots must hold the necessary qualifications. Pilots must obtain a clearance from Air Traffic Control to enter such airspace and, except in an emergency situation, they must follow ATC instructions implicitly. In class A airspace, only Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight is permitted. It is the most strictly regulated airspace where pilots must comply with ATC instructions at all times. Aircraft are separated from all other traffic and the users of this airspace are mainly major airlines and business jets. Class C airspace in the UK extends from FL195 to FL660. Both IFR and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) traffic operates and requires a clearance to enter the airspace and compliance with ATC instructions are mandatory. Class D airspace is for IFR and VFR use; an ATC clearance is needed and compliance with ATC instructions is mandatory. Control areas around aerodromes are class D and in class D airspace, a speed limit of 250 knots applies if the aircraft is below FL100. Class E airspace is for IFR and VFR use. IFR traffic requires an ATC clearance is needed and compliance with ATC instructions is mandatory for separation purposes. VFR traffic does not require a clearance to enter class E airspace. Controlled airspace is also divided by type depending on where it is and the function it provides. Aerodrome Control Zones afford protection to aircraft within the immediate vicinity of aerodromes. Control Areas are situated above the Aerodrome Traffic Zone (ATZ) and afford protection over a larger area to specified upper limit. Terminal Control Areas are normally established at the junction of airways in the vicinity of one or more major aerodromes. The London Terminal Control Area is an example of this dealing with air traffic arriving and departing from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, London City, Northolt, Biggin Hill, Southend, Farnborough and other minor airfields in the London area. Airways are corridors of airspace connecting the Terminal Control Areas and link up with airways in other countries too. Airways are normally 10 miles wide and have bases between 5,000 feet and 7,000 feet and they extend upward to a height of 24,500 feet (FL245). Upper air routes (UARs) sit above airways. Their vertical limits are usually Flight Level FL250-FL 460. Civil and military aircraft operating above FL245 are subject to a full and mandatory Air Traffic Control Service NATS Protected Page 13 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 14 Figure 7 Example of controlled airspace structure NATS Protected Page 14 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 15 9. Uncontrolled Airspace Within class G airspace, aircraft may fly when and where they like, subject to a set of simple rules. Although there is no legal requirement to do so, many pilots notify Air Traffic Control of their presence and intentions and they take full responsibility for their own safety, although they can ask for help. The following services are available and offer varying degrees of protection and/or information to pilots. However the avoidance of other aircraft remains the pilot’s responsibility: Deconfliction Service Traffic Service Basic Service Two other types of service pilots can receive outside controlled airspace are an Alerting Service and a Procedural Service. An Alerting Service is provided to notify appropriate organisations regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue aid, and assist such organisations as required. A Procedural Service is a non radar-based service in which deconfliction advice is provided against other aircraft receiving a Procedural Service from the same controller. NATS Protected Page 15 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 16 10. Air Traffic Control over the Atlantic Shanwick Oceanic Control Area (based at Prestwick) has responsibility for air traffic control over the North Atlantic, which is shared by the UK, Portugal, the USA, Canada and Iceland. NATS is responsible for the Eastern portion of the Atlantic which stretches between latitudes 45 degrees North and 61 degrees North and westward to longitude 30 degrees West. Voice communication is maintained through HF (High Frequency) radio, which is based at Shannon in the west of Eire. A pilot makes position reports usually every 10 degrees of longitude. A system of organised tracks is constructed by the relevant Oceanic Area Control Centre (OACC) every 12 hours to accommodate as many aircraft as possible on their most economic flight path. Prestwick OACC is responsible for publishing the westbound track structure for UK airspace (between 1000hrs and 1600hrs). When organising the track structure the prevailing wind is taken into account as airlines like to take advantage of a tailwind, which is more fuel economical and gets the aircraft and passengers to their destinations quicker. Clearances to cross the ocean will include the track, flight level, speed, and any time restrictions for entry on to the track structure. Planners on either side of the Ocean consult with each other and co-ordinate as necessary with adjacent OACCs as well as domestic ATC agencies, to ensure the system provides sufficient capacity for the anticipated demands. Modern equipment installed at Prestwick ensures that the Air Traffic Controllers are able to detect and resolve conflictions on the Oceanic tracks and thus issue safe clearances to the participating traffic. NATS Protected Page 16 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 17 Figure 8 Oceanic Control Track and Separations NATS Protected Page 17 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 18 11. Separation In Controlled Airspace each aircraft is separated from all other aircraft by internationally agreed standards. This is achieved by allocating aircraft different heights or by issuing headings (vectors) so that the aircraft can be at the same height but a minimum horizontal distance apart. These rules vary depending on where the aircraft is flying. In the London Terminal Control Area, aircraft operating under radar control must be separated by 3 nautical miles from other aircraft at the same height. If they are less than 3 miles apart they must be separated by a minimum of 1,000 feet. Outside of London Terminal control airspace, aircraft operating under radar control must be kept 5 nautical miles apart if they are at the same level or 1000ft vertically up to FL290. Above this, 1000ft vertical separation may continue to be provided up to FL410, subject to aircraft being suitably equipped to comply with Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) rules, other wise 2000ft should be applied. NATS was at the forefront of introducing Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM). Aircraft that have had their altimeters checked to a high degree of accuracy and which can comply with other strict criteria are allowed to fly across the Atlantic track structure with only 1000 feet separation above FL290 and below FL 410. This separation standard allows many more aircraft to fly through airspace where RVSM is allowed. NATS Protected Page 18 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 19 12. Technologies relevant to air traffic control A lot of development in aviation is to ensure that either safety is increased or that capacity is increased without safety being compromised. Air Traffic Controllers at LACC and ScACC now use systems developed to improve both safety and capacity. These systems utilise a tool called Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD). It is the intention that implementing such systems will help NATS meet the future demands of over 3 million annual movements. 12.1. Tools and Trajectories 12.1.1. Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) MTCD aims to reduce the controllers’ workload by equipping them with a tool that aids them with decision making. The tool uses a variety of data inputs to predict where an aircraft will be up to 20 minutes in the future, based on the aircraft’s level, speed and heading/ route. If the controller inputs any tactical instructions the system is updated. Controllers can also enter a “what- if” instruction, this allows a controller to check what may happen without yet committing to the decision. This “what-if” trajectory is displayed on the radar screen so that the controller can visualise the new information. 12.1.2. Time Based Separation (TBS) In 2015, NATS was the first Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) to introduce Time Based Separation on final approach, having been initially deployed at London Heathrow. Instead of the space between aircraft being determined by distance, as has historically been the case, the gaps between successive aircraft are based on time, taking into account the prevailing wind and the associated wake turbulence being produced by the aircraft type. The stronger the wind, the quicker the wake vortex that is produced will be dispersed. As the wind speed increases, aircraft can be positioned closer together in sequence on final approach, therefore increasing the available landing rate. 12.1.3. Radar The use of radar, both primary and secondary, assists Air Traffic Controllers in their main task of ensuring safe separation between aircraft. There are radar sites at many airports around the country and at other strategic sites. These radars ensure that the controllers who work at the various units around the UK receive the best possible picture and information from the radars. 12.1.4. Primary Radar Primary radar provides only very basic information about the position of an aircraft in relation to the radar. It will show all aircraft within its coverage and will also show other objects like high terrain, certain weather and possibly large flocks of birds. NATS Protected Page 19 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 20 12.1.5. Secondary Radar Secondary Radar is selective, and only displays information from aircraft equipped with a transponder. Before an aircraft departs from an airfield or before it enters the airways systems it is allocated an individual four-digit code, which the pilot dials up in the transponder (this is called Mode A). When the aircraft gets airborne, or before it enters the airways systems, the ground based radar interrogates the transponder. When it recognises the code, which is allocated to that particular flight, the aircraft's height information (this is called Mode C) and callsign, is displayed to the Controller in the form of a label next to the position of the aircraft. The Controller is also able to display maps of airways and upper air routes as well as coastlines and danger areas on the display. 12.1.6. Mode S Mode S is a development to supersede the present Mode A and C technology and the limitations that this system has. At present the radars interrogate the transponders of aircraft and receive the information about the aircraft and its height. In areas of high traffic density, for example in the holds around Heathrow, the integrity of the mode A and C is sometimes adversely affected by the garbling of all the radar returns. Mode S alleviates these shortcomings because the radar system will, in effect, target individual aircraft rather than trying to attempt to resolve all the replies. Mode S provides the controller with the opportunity to view certain information, e.g. Selected Flight level/Indicated Air Speed/heading etc., which the pilots have set in the cockpit to aid with conformance monitoring and reducing communications between controllers and pilots. 12.1.7. Conformance monitoring The use of electronic data to record ATC instructions given by the controller, combined with the radar information, allows the ATC systems to monitor an aircraft’s conformance with instructions. Such systems track the actions of the aircraft compared to those expected from the ATC instructions and if there is a discrepancy between the two, the system provides the controller with an alert that can be checked and if necessary acted upon. NATS Protected Page 20 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 21 13. Navigational Aids NATS provides and maintains a large number of navigational aids, to enable aircraft to fly the airways systems with the necessary accuracy. The most accurate of the ground based navigational aids is the VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR) which emits radial signals which aircraft can fly along. There are 360 radials, which an aircraft could fly toward or away from a VOR. Each radial represents 1 degree from 0-359 degrees. VOR's often have an associated DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) with them. This shows the pilot how far the aircraft is away from the VOR. Due to their accuracy, VORs can also be used for establishing holds. Heathrow’s 4 inner holds are established overhead VORs. A Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) just emits a signal which the pilot navigates toward. The range of most NDBs is in the region of about 25 nautical miles whereas a VOR has a much greater range in the order of 125 nautical miles. An increasing number of approach and en-route ground based navigation aids are being phased out as the capability and accuracy of GPS systems available to and on aircraft becomes more reliable and widespread. Aircraft will gather data from various sources e.g. Navigational Aids, Inertial Navigation Systems, GPS and information is then fed into the Flight Management System. Flight management systems can vary in complexity, from the basic heading and altitude hold, to systems which can control the aircraft from departure to arrival. Approach Controllers issue instructions to enable the aircraft to intercept the Instrument Landing System (ILS). The ILS is a ground-based radio guidance system, which transmits two directional radio beams, the localiser and the glide path. The pilot then receives indications in the cockpit advising if the aircraft needs to fly up/down or left/right to keep on the correct approach path. The usual descent path for an ILS is 3 degrees. NATS Protected Page 21 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 22 14. The Aircraft That Use The System The biggest daily users of the UK ATC system are the major UK and Irish carriers, British Airways, Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic, Easyjet and the charter airlines like TUI Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines. The major companies of the UK’s geographical neighbours like Air France, KLM (the Netherlands), Iberia (Spain), Lufthansa (Germany), SAS (Sweden, Denmark and Norway), Alitalia (Italy) and Swiss, not only operate to and from the UK, but also to North America as well. Many other operators from all over the world fly into and across UK airspace so it is easy to imagine where the 6000+ daily flights over the UK airspace appear from. Airlines operate a mixture of jet and propeller aircraft. The aircraft that they choose to use depends on the amount of passengers that route generates. For example Heathrow to Newcastle could be a popular route so the aircraft which operate the route are jet aircraft with over 130 seats. However, a route from Southampton to Newcastle may not be so popular, so the route is flown by either a propeller aircraft or a small jet aircraft with fewer seats. The information below shows the jet aircraft which are popular amongst the European airlines, the various routes they fly and some performance characteristics and statistics. NATS Protected Page 22 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 23 1. AIRCRAFT TYPE 2. CRUISING LEVEL 3. SPEED 4. TYPICAL ROUTES 1. Boeing 737 2. FL330 – FL410 3. 460 knots 4. Popular charter destinations and European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Copenhagen – Dublin, London – Edinburgh and Manchester – Istanbul. NOTE: Boeing 737 Max variants can have longer ranges, serving transatlantic routes 1. Boeing 747 2. FL310 – FL430 3. 500 knots 4. Far East, Australasian and Transatlantic routes. e.g. London – New York and London – Las Vegas. 1. Boeing 777 2. FL310 – FL430 3. 490 knots 4. Transatlantic and Far East routes. e.g. London – Hong Kong and London – Los Angeles. 1. Boeing 787 2. FL310 – FL430 3. 490 knots 4. Far East, Australasian and Transatlantic routes. e.g. London – Seoul, London – Perth and London – New Orleans. 1. Airbus A318 2. FL310 – FL390 3. 450 knots 4. European short haul. e.g. London – Paris. Also business class to the USA. 1. Airbus A319 2. FL290 – FL390 3. 450 knots 4. European schedule, charter and domestic routes. e.g. London – Belfast and Manchester – Alicante. 1. Airbus A320 2. FL290 – FL390 3. 450 knots 4. European schedule, charter and domestic routes. e.g. London – Newcastle, London – Paris and Dublin – Rome. 5. Airbus A320 NEO can have longer ranges, serving some Transatlantic routes NATS Protected Page 23 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 24 1. Airbus A321 2. FL310 – FL390 3. 450 knots 4. European schedule, charter and domestic routes. e.g. London – Rome, Manchester – Alicante and London – Edinburgh. 5. Airbus A321 NEO can have longer ranges, serving some Transatlantic routes 1. Airbus A330 2. FL310 – FL410 3. 480 knots 4. High Density short haul and long haul flights. 1. Airbus A340 2. FL310 – FL410 3. 480 knots 4. Transatlantic and long haul flights. e.g. London – Los Angeles and London – Lagos. 1. Airbus A350 2. FL310 – FL430 3. 490 knots 4. Far East, Transatlantic and long haul routes. e.g. London – Kuala Lumpur and London - Addis Ababa 1. Airbus A380 2. FL310 - FL430 3. 490 knots 4. Transatlantic and Far East and long haul routes. e.g. London – Dubai and London – Singapore 1. Embraer 145 2. FL270 – FL370 3. 430 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. East Midlands - Brussels and Southampton - Glasgow. 1. Embraer 195 2. FL310 – FL410 3. 450 knots 4. European short haul. e.g. Paris – Aberdeen and London City - Geneva This list of jet airliners is by no means complete and there still are certain aircraft which fly through UK airspace which have not been included. The information information above and below is by no means definitive due to the fact that different airlines operate their aircraft in different ways and also in different configurations. NATS Protected Page 24 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 25 The information below shows the propeller driven aircraft, which are commonly used on routes within UK airspace. The same information is shown as for the jet aircraft above. 1. ATR 42/72 2. FL170 – FL250 3. 250 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Cork - Luton. 1. Fokker 50 2. FL150 – FL230 3. 250 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Manchester - Brussels. 1. Dash 8 2. FL140 – FL250 3. 270 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Bristol – Paris and Southampton – Amsterdam. 1. Jetstream 41 2. FL140 – FL250 3. 250 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Newcastle - Southampton. 1. Saab 2000 2. FL210 – FL310 3. 360 knots 4. European short haul and domestic routes. e.g. Manchester - Aberdeen. As well as these passenger aircraft there has been a marked increase in private business jet traffic. Aircraft like Gulfstreams, Cessna Citations, Dassault Falcons and Canadair Challengers are now common throughout UK airspace. These aircraft can fly at slightly higher levels than passenger aircraft but are doing similar speeds to the likes of Airbus A320s. They are used for short trips around the UK and Europe and also for longer transatlantic or Far East flights. NATS Protected Page 25 of 26 Air Traffic Control Knowledge Test 26 15. Useful Websites 15.1.1. NATS www.nats.aero 15.1.2. Civil Aviation Authority www.caa.co.uk 15.1.3. Eurocontrol www.eurocontrol.int 15.1.4. SESAR www.sesarju.eu 15.1.5. European Aviation Safety Agency www.easa.europa.eu NATS Protected Page 26 of 26