VAC Ground Controlling

Ground control is often looked down upon and people cannot wait to move up the ranks and roles. However, controlling the ground is as big a challenge as any position. This guide is split into two, the first part is a very simple breakdown of what you are responsible for and what you should be saying. The second part is a more in-depth look at ground control.

PART ONE

ATIS

• Setting up your ATIS each time you connect with the correct information.
  Correct runways (If the tailwind is less than 5 at most airports West west-facing runway is preferred.
  Correct Transition Altitude.
  Correct Transition Level.

IFR Clearances

• IFR Clearances.
  Callsign, Your callsign, Information Alpha is either correct/current, Cleared destination, SID, Squawk Code.
  
  
• Push Back and Start-up Clearances
  Callsign, Stand X, push and start approved, face direction (if required) You can add QNH on the end.
  
  
• Taxi Clearances.
  Callsign, Taxi holding point XX, via taxiways Alpha – Papa, add QNH if you did not add on push and start.
  
  
• Relaying IFR Circuit Clearances (Clearance comes from Approach/Radar or CTR)
  Callsign, cleared into the IFR circuit, after departure maintain runway heading and climb 3000ft, Squawk xxxx.
  
  
• Relaying VFR leaving the zone Clearance (Clearance comes from Approach/Radar or CTR)
  Callsign, if cleared to leave the airport’s control zone via VRPs, VFR, not above altitude xxxx ft, Squawk xxxx.

The above are the basics and they are just enough to get you started in saying the correct things. Now let is dive deeper into certain areas and explain the reason why and expand on the information.

Above i gave you an example of the more common IFR clearance you will be giving people. There are a few more variations of IFR clearance.

• IFR Clearance (Non-Standard)
  Callsign, your callsign, Cleared Destination, after departure, runway number climb straight ahead to altitude xxxx ft, squawk xxxx.
  
  
• IFR Clearance (Airway Joining Clearances)
  Callsign, your callsign, cleared destination via Airway, after departure left/right turn on track Waypoint, climb altitude xxxx ft, squawk xxxx.

Push and Start

Airliners normally park nose into the gate, so they require to be pushed from the gate to the taxiway. Let’s have a look at the correct phraseology.

• Pushback Clearance
  Aircraft Callsign; [Stand/ Parking Area]; “Push and start approved.
  
  
• Pushback Clearance with Direction
  Aircraft Callsign; [Stand/ Parking Area] “Push and start approved”; face [Direction].
  
  
• Startup Clearance (For some stands the aircraft may not need to be pushed so they just need start clearance)
  Aircraft Callsign; ATC Callsign; [ATIS Code]; [QNH]; “start-up approved.

Taxi Clearance

• Taxi Clearance
  Aircraft Callsign; [Clearance Limit]; [Runway]; [Route]; [QNH]
  
  
• Taxi Clearance to an Intermediate hold
  Aircraft Callsign; Taxi via [route] Hold at [Hold].

PART TWO

We shall now look at some of the tools you have as a ground controller to help you manage the workload and help you to maintain the flow of traffic.

The most important tool is what is called conditional clearance. These enable you as a controller to off load some of the work onto the pilots. Let’s look at some examples.

• Conditional Pushback Clearance
  Aircraft Callsign; [Condition]; [Stand/ Parking Area]; “Push and start approved”; face [Direction]

The advantage of using a conditional clearance is you do not need to remember to get back to that pilot, it is also great for maintaining the flow of traffic. Imagine a pilot calling for push and start and you tell them to stand by, then you dealing with other aircraft and 5 minutes go by and the aircraft that requested push and start is still standing by because you got distracted. If you would have used a conditional clearance the pilot of the aircraft will be pushing once clear and will be calling you for taxi without you having to remember to get back to them.

Here is an example:
Aero 23P, after the Easy Jet A320 Taxing behind left to right, stand 23 push and start approved face East.

We can also use conditional clearance when it comes to taxi clearances.

• Conditional Taxi Clearance
  Aircraft Callsign; [Condition]; [Clearance Limit]; [Runway]; [Route], [QNH]
  
  
• Conditional Taxi Clearance to an Intermediate hold
  Aircraft Callsign; [Condition]; Taxi via [Route]; Hold [Hold point]; [QNH]

The same advantages of conditional push and start clearance apply to conditional taxi clearances.

More to follow.