Airwork / Special Operations

Airwork

Airwork is essentially defined as an aerial operation that doesn't involve simply going from A to B. They can complicate things from an air traffic control perspective, because it's not necessarily as clear exactly what the aircraft is about to do just from looking at their label. In order to facilitate separation and the orderly flow of traffic whilst Airwork is taking place, there are a few procedures to follow.

Airwork can be conducted in any defined area specified by the pilot or ATC. This can be a radius from a fix (eg within a 20nm Radius of YBMK), a Survey Area (eg Operating within Map 420 Survey Area), a defined polygon (eg Operating within an area between BNA-IDNER-VEGAH-TUCAB), a visual topographical feature (eg Operating within the Port Phillip Bay area), or any other area specified by Pilot or ATC.

Example

PPB: "PPB, with Airwork Details"
KIY: "PPB"
PPB: "PPB, will be conducting Airwork within a 20nm radius of YPKU, not above A040, for the next 20 minutes. Will call Ops Normal time 30"
KIY: "PPB, No Reported IFR Traffic"
PPB: "PPB"

Remarks

An aircraft's Flight Plan Remarks can be the first sign that airwork will be occurring. It can help you as a controller start your planning nice and early, and stay ahead of the game. If the pilot has left detailed remarks, it also means you can spend less time on the frequency asking them what they're doing.

STS/ (Status) field

(Aircraft that has declared a Mayday)
(Aircraft that has declared a Pan Pan)
STS/MEDEVAC - Aircraft engaged in life critical transportation of severely ill patients
STS/FFR - Aircraft engaged in Fire or Flood Relief operations
STS/SAR - Aircraft engaged in Search and Rescue Operations
STS/HEAD STATE - Aircraft carrying the Prime Minister
STS/STATE - Aircraft part of the defence force, military, or customs.
STS/HOSP - Aircraft engaged in non-life-critical transportation of medical operations, personnel, or ill patients.

VATSIM Code of Conduct

Section B6:
"No flight may declare itself to have priority over another. Pilots are permitted to declare in-flight emergencies only when under air traffic control. If, for any reason, air traffic control requests the pilot to terminate the emergency, then the pilot must do so IMMEDIATELY or disconnect from the network. Pilots are not permitted to simulate any unlawful act including, but not limited to, declaring a hijack by any method, including entering a transponder code of 7500."

Persuant to the above, you are permitted to simulate the higher priority operations above, such as emergency aircraft and MEDEVAC operations, by giving track shortening and conducting coordination as required, as long as it does not impose a delay on any other aircraft (other than normal delays associated with sequencing, weather, etc).

Examples

DLE/ESDAN0010 AV0020 MB0030 RMK/ESDAN26ILS AV36VOR MB4000NDB
A pilot intending to do the ILS Runway 26 at YMEN, followed by the VOR Runway 36 at YMAV, then the 4000ft NDB-A at YMMB.

STS/SAR DLE/2352S13601E0130 RMK/SAR OPERATIONS WI 10NM OF 2352S13601E
A pilot intending to conduct Search and Rescue operations within a 10nm radius centred on 10° 52' S 136° 01' E.

RMK/PJE OPS ROCKINGHAM
A pilot intending to conduct Parachute Operations overhead Rockingham

RMK/SVY OPS WI MAP 420
A pilot intending to conduct Aerial Survey Operations as per Map 420

General Operations

Ops Normal time

If an aircraft is to be conducting airwork that does not require them to talk to ATC for an extended period (30 mins or more), an "Ops Normal" time should be agreed upon. This is a time that the aircraft confirms they will "check-in" with ATC by, to confirm that they're still alive essentially. If the pilot does not volnteer an Ops Normal time, provide them with one that is on an even hour or half hour, anywhere from 30 mins to 60 mins from the current time.

Example

Time is 0648Z
OBF: "OBF will be conducting Airwork within a 20nm radius of YBLT Not above A050 for the next 60 minutes"
YWE: "OBF, No Reported IFR Traffic, Call Ops Normal time 30."
OBF: "Ops Normal time 30, OBF"

You can then set the timer on the aircraft, by right clicking on the ACID in the Label, and entering the agreed upon time.

Checklist

Not often that a "Checklist" is required in an ATC environment, but when Airwork is involved, it can assist greatly. The items are as follows:

Preactive

This is your first opportunity to become aware of the airwork occuring. You may see a flightplan in the Preactive Window that states their intentions in the remarks, and this is a good time to start planning on how to manage the airwork, and checking up on your SOPs references (hopefully that's why you're here!)
Initial Call

In the absence of a flightplan, or not seeing a Preactive Strip, this may also be your first opportunity to become aware of the airwork occurring. Ascertain the pilot's exact intentions, requirements, area of operations, and any other relevant info as soon as possible
Assessment

Assess for Airspace, Traffic, Separation, and Coordination
Situational Awareness Tools

Consider using Text-on-Screen, Activation of Danger Areas, Label Data, Off Track Deviations, Block Levels, etc, to enhance your situational awareness as to the aircraft's intentions
Coordination

Coordinate to all affected adjacent units as required. Ascertain who is responsible for separation, who will take the aircraft on frequency, any any other info pertinent to the operation.
Clearance

Pass the aircraft their airways clearance if operating in controlled airspace
Ops Normal time

Confirm an ops normal time if required

Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations

SAR Operations are conducted more or less as a standard airwork procedure. Handle the aircraft as any other normal aircraft transiting your airspace, with the airwork procedures shown above.

SAR Operations are most commonly flown in a circular area (eg Radius from a Fix, or Radius from a Lat/Long), or a Straight line pattern (eg, back and forth on a line between 2 Fixes, or 2 Lat/Longs).

Example

DDU: "DDU, Requesting Traffic for Search and Rescue operations for the next 90 minutes, within a 10nm Radius of 23 52 South, 136 01 East, Not above A060"
ASP: "DDU, No Reported IFR Traffic. Call Ops Normal time on the hour"
DDU: "Ops Normal on the hour, DDU"

Practice Instrument Approaches

A Practice Instrument Approach is simply an aircraft conducting an Instrument Approach with no intention of a full-stop landing. This is pretty straight-forward outside controlled airspace, as the pilot will often just request a traffic statement for a given radius from a fix. In controlled airspace, however, there can be quite a few things to consider.

Note

VFR aircraft are still allowed to do Instrument Approaches

Initial Call

Example

YNJ: "Adelaide Approach, YNJ, Requesting Practice YPPF VOR-A Approach"
AAE: "YNJ, Adelaide Approach, Standby"

Assessment

First thing to do, is to bring up the approach chart from the Airservices Australia DAPs

Then we continue our assessment. Assess for:

Airspace (What classes of Airspace will the aircraft be operating in? Will the aircraft require a clearance?)
Traffic/Separation
Coordination (What adjacent units will be affected?)
Approach specifics (Will a Sector Entry be required? Will a Hold be Required? Will the Published Missed Approach be suitable?)

Tip

Sometimes, Practice Instrument Approaches in the vicinity of busy Class C Aerodromes such as YMML, YSSY, YBBN, etc, will cause too much of a traffic headache to be viable. Practice Instrument Approaches are a low priority item, and can be denied if the traffic situation impedes it

Sector Entries and Holds

A Sector Entry is a procedure pilots use to commence an approach. The type of turn made prior to the commencement of the approach differs based on which direction the aircraft is joing from. That is all we really need to know as a controller. No need to overcomplicate things as a controller, simply ask the following:

Example

AAE: "YNJ, Will you be requiring a Sector Entry or Hold for the Approach?"
YNJ: "Affirm will require a Sector Entry, but no hold, YNJ"
AAE: "YNJ"

Situational Awareness Tools

Label Data, Block Levels, and Text-on-Screen are all useful for Practice Instrument Approaches. Use Label Data to indicate the approach type (eg "VORA"), use Block Levels to indicate the cleared altitude in the Missed Approach (eg, Published Missed Approach for YPPF VOR-A, Block 000-030), use Text-on-Screen to indicate any non-standard instructions or other pertinent information (eg, a Heading issued for the Missed Approach, Approach type).

Coordination

Conduct Coordination to any affected adjacent units as required

Example

AAE -> AAW: "via AD, YNJ, for a Practice VOR-A approach at YPPF, with your concurrence, I'll clear them for the approach, and will call you overhead AD. Your coord with AD ADC"
AAW -> AAE: "YNJ calls me overhead AD with approach clearance, concurred. My onwards with AD ADC"

Example

AAW -> AD ADC: "Cancel Auto Release temporarily, I've got an aircraft doing the VOR-A for YPPF"
AD ADC -> AAW: "Copied, Auto Release cancelled"

Clearance (if required)

Example

AAE: "YNJ, Cleared VOR-A Approach, make Sector Entry. At the minima, Fly Published Missed Approach"
YNJ: "Cleared VOR-A Approach, make Sector Entry. At the minima, Fly Published Missed Approach, YNJ"

Aerial Surveys

Aerial Survey Work involves flying in a pattern similar to that shown above. Pilots will often request oddly specific altitudes (eg F143) whilst doing these operations. A lot of information is required to have the required situational awareness to facilitate aerial survey work, and it is important to cooperate with the pilot on this. The best thing the pilot can give you, is a survey map showing their area of operations, which may look something like this:

Survey Map Example

The numbers signify "Runs" that the survey aircraft can be cleared for. It is important to note, that the pilot may require to do these runs in a particular order and direction, and at a particular altitude. They also may have some flexibility. Ask the pilot questions if you need more information about how much freedom you have to move them where you want for separation purposes