Learn ATC
Everything you need to understand air traffic control - from basic concepts to advanced procedures. Each topic links to hands-on practice in radarcontrol.io.
Core concepts
- What does an air traffic controller do? - the core job: separation, clearances, sequencing, handoffs
- How does ATC separation work? - lateral and vertical minimums, conflict detection, resolution
- What is radar separation? - radar vs procedural separation, 3nm/5nm standards, vertical minimums
- What is a flight level? - FL350 = 35,000ft, standard pressure, semicircular rule
- What is a handoff? - transferring aircraft between sectors and frequency changes
- What is a conflict alert? - CA system, flashing data blocks, how controllers respond
- What is wake turbulence? - wing vortices, wake categories, required spacing
- What are ATC clearances? - altitude, heading, speed, approach, and hold clearances
Airspace and facilities
- What is a TRACON? - terminal approach control near busy airports
- What is an ARTCC? - en-route centers managing high-altitude traffic, all 20 US centers
- What are airways? - jet routes, victor routes, the highway system of the sky
Procedures
- What is a SID and STAR? - published departure and arrival routes with altitude constraints
- What is an ILS approach? - precision landing guidance: localizer, glideslope, decision height
- What is a holding pattern? - racetrack delay patterns, EFC times, when they're used
- What is a go-around? - aborting a landing, missed approach procedures
- How arrivals are sequenced - merge points, miles in trail, speed control, vectoring for spacing
- How runway selection works - wind-based decisions, tailwind limits, parallel runway operations
Weather and systems
- What is a METAR? - decoded weather observations, how to read them
- What is ATIS? - airport information broadcasts, information letters, pilot usage
- What is TCAS? - onboard collision avoidance, traffic and resolution advisories
- What is a squawk code? - transponder codes, modes, and emergency squawks (7500/7600/7700)
External resources
These aren't part of radarcontrol.io, but they're worth checking out if you want to go deeper:
- FAA Pilot/Controller Glossary - official definitions for every ATC term
- VATSIM - online network with real human pilots and controllers
- IVAO - another online ATC network, popular in Europe
- SKYbrary - aviation safety encyclopedia with detailed articles on ATC topics
- FAA JO 7110.65 - the actual rules US controllers follow
Ready to practice? Open radarcontrol.io - it's free, runs in your browser, no account needed.