Pilot's Information

Pilot's Information

Things To Remember in the Piarco FIR

ATC Clearances are given normally while you are taxiing to the active runway and not while parked at the gate. Why??? Simply because some of our TMAs as well as our Area Control Centre (ACC) simulate Procedural Control and your level must be requested before you receive your clearance. Therefore, it's more expedious to allow you to taxi and take your clearance at the same time and it also allows the ACC to better plan for your aircraft prior to you entering their airspace.
Pilots are reminded to check the voice ATIS once one is provided; and when ready to taxi, call the controller for permission to startup and/or pushback.
If flying above FL245, pilots are encouraged to file Upper Level airways and if flying below FL245, file Lower Level airways.. eg: FL260 via the UA555 or FL120 via the A555.
Pilots are encouraged to be familar with Instrument Procedures at their Departure/Arrival airport as well as use the charts available on this website.

What is :

Radar control is a method of providing air traffic control services with the use of radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-B).

Primary radar is a

radar system which uses reflected radio signals.

Procedural control is a method of providing air traffic control services without the use of radar. It is also term used to indicate that information derived from an ATS surveillance system is not required for the provision of air traffic control service. It is used in regions of the world, specifically sparsely-populated land areas and oceans, where radar coverage is either prohibitively expensive or is simply not feasible. It also may be used at very low-traffic airports, or at other airports at night when the traffic levels may not justify staffing the radar control positions, or as a back-up system in the case of radar failure.

Procedure turn is a manoeuvre in which a turn is made away from a designated track followed by a turn in the opposite direction to permit the aircraft to intercept and proceed along the reciprocal of the designated track.

VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice (if equipped), and navigation signal.

A non-directional (radio) beacon (NDB) is a radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. As the name implies, the signal transmitted does not include inherent directional information, in contrast to other navigational aids such as low frequency radio range, VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) and TACAN. NDB signals follow the curvature of the earth, so they can be received at much greater distances at lower altitudes, a major advantage over VOR. However, NDB signals are also affected more by atmospheric conditions, mountainous terrain, coastal refraction and electrical storms, particularly at long range.

RADIAL- A magnetic bearing extending from a VOR/VORTAC/TACAN navigation facility. For example, the 180 radial from a VOR represents a line south of that VOR.

Distance measuring equipment (DME) is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals. Aircraft use DME to determine their distance from a land-based transponder by sending and receiving pulse pairs - two pulses of fixed duration and separation. The ground stations are typically co-located with VORs. A typical DME ground transponder system for en-route or terminal navigation will have a 1 kW peak pulse output on the assigned UHF channel.

Estimated elapsed time is t

he estimated time required to proceed from one significant point to another.

Estimated time of arrival is the point, defined by reference to navigation aids, from which it is intended that an instrument approach procedure will be commenced, or, if no navigation aid is associated with the aerodrome, the time at which the aircraft will arrive over the aerodrome. For VFR flights, the time at which it is estimated that the aircraft will arrive over the aerodrome.

Expected approach time is the time at which ATC expects that an arriving aircraft, following a delay, will leave the holding fix to complete its approach for a landing.

Unfamiliar with an Airport??

Read this for

TBPB -

Useful Information

List of Navigation Aids in the Piarco FIR

Need a route within the FIR??- Coming soon

Helpful Resources

Last Updated (Saturday, 12 June 2010 02:04)