Distress and urgency messages

CONTROLLER PROFICIENCY

ATC requires the performance of many different tasks using the same information or different selections from the information presented. When displays, controls and workspaces are specified, it is therefore important that they be suitable for the whole range of tasks for which they will be employed, and not merely for some of them. As a consequence, they may not be optimum for any, single function but must be efficient and safe for every function. Otherwise certain functions in the operational system may be very inefficient or impossible. For example, any visual coding such as colour is likely to tasks with which it is directly compatible but hinder tasks which require the collation of information portrayed in different colours. A balance has to be struck across the various tasks, to choose codlings that help as many tasks as possible and do not seriously interfere with any task.

The controller must be able to plan the air the air traffic control, implement the plans, make decisions, solve problems and formulate predictions. To perform the essential control tasks, the controller must understand the portrayed information, whatever form it takes. The controller must remember what forms of assistance are available and know when it is appropriate to call on each. The controller must know the right course of action in all circumstances. Human Factors addresses the thinking processes that the controller must follow and the effects of equipment changes on them. If necessary, equipment or procedures must be modified to ensure that these thinking processes do not change too much or too quickly. Whenever these thinking processes must change, appropriate controller retraining is essential. This often involves revised liveware-software links.

The controller must be able to understand and assign priorities to the relevant information, to plan ahead, to make timely and appropriate decisions, to implement them and to ensure compliance with them.

The proficient controller needs to know and understand:

n how ATC is conducted;

n the meaning of all presented information;

n the tasks to be accomplished;

n the applicable rules, procedures and instruction;

n the forms and methods of communication within the system;

n how and when to use each tool provided within the workspace;

n Human Factors considerations applicable to ATC;

n the ways in which responsibility for an aircraft is accepted and handed over from one controller to the next;

n the ways in which the work of various controllers harmonizes so that they rather than impede each other;

n what changes or signs could denote system degradations or failures;

n aircraft performance characteristics and preferred maneuvering;

n other influences on flight and routes, such as weather, restricted airspace, noise abatement, etc.

Answer the questions.

1. Does ATC perform the same tasks? If not, why?

2. Which tools are suitable for the whole range of tasks?

3. What is a balance of solving various tasks included in?

4. What is the controller able to do?

5. When must the controller know the right course of action?

6. How must equipment or procedures be modified?

7. When is appropriate controller retraining essential?

8. Why is it necessary for the controller to make timely and appropriate decisions?

9. What must the proficient controller know and understand?

10. Does the controller have to plan ahead?

DISTRESS AND URGENCY MESSAGES

Any distress or urgency message must be as short, full and clear as possible. Every station received this kind of message should retransmit it to the ATC unit immediately and the controller must acknowledge it at once.

An emergency message is usually transmitted on frequency-in-use, but special emergency frequencies can also be used.

A distress message begins with the word “Mayday” pronounced 3 times and consists of:

1. ATC unit call sign;

2. identification of the aircraft;

3. nature of the distress condition;

4. intentions;

5. position, level and heading of the aircraft;

6. any other useful information.

All station received the message should monitor the frequency and the controller will impose radio silence with the phase: “STOP transmitting”, addressed to all or one particular station.

When the aircraft is no longer in distress, it cancels Mayday.

The controller cancels silence with phase “Distress traffic ended”. It means resuming of normal communication operations.

Urgency message starts with signal “PAN PAN’ 3 times and includes:

1. ATC unit call sign;

2. identification of the aircraft;

3. the nature of urgency;

4. intentions;

5. other useful information.

Urgency messages have priority over other except distress messages. Nobody may interrupt them.

Exercise 10.3.2 Answer the questions.

1. What should every station received distress or urgency message do?

2. What frequency is an emergency message usually transmitted on?