To new pilots contacting the controller after departure can be a bit confusing, and it is therefore important to read the departure charts for the airport that you are at, whether that be in the UK or anywhere else in the world. At some airports, you will be expected to Read more…
One of the common things that we see is that people do not know either how to run a sweatbox or what all of the features on sweatbox are. So we thought that we would let you know about some of the useful features that we know and use. If Read more…
Recently we were speaking to some controllers and pilots about the different ways that you can push an aircraft back, and a lot of the other controllers were unaware that you could use some of the other ways detailed below. We also wanted to clear up what these pushback instructions Read more…
When descending your aircraft you will eventually have to talk to an approach unit, so that they can vector you around to the final approach course for the runway at the airport. This can be a high paced environment, with lots of transmissions being given in quick succession and the Read more…
When controlling on virtual networks, the controller is often the frontline of the network, and therefore they are solely responsible for the pilots’ feeling welcome and comfortable, especially new pilots. So we thought we would create a quick guide on how to approach new pilots and some of the things Read more…
Requesting clearances can be quite a daunting prospect especially when you are a new pilot, with lots of people talking on the same frequency, and lots of confusing information being given. So we thought we would take the time to help you understand how to request clearance a bit easier Read more…
London Gatwick Airport is located within Surrey and lies halfway between the River Thames and theEnglish channel. Located near Gatwick are the towns of Horley (1NM to the north) and Crawley(3NM to the south) and are not to be overflown under any circumstances.
Biggin Hill is a small airport located in the town of Biggin Hill and is situated in between Gatwick andLondon City. It was opened in 1917 and was a RAF defence base and during world war 2 housed thehurricanes and spitfires for the quick reaction alter, taking down over 1400 Read more…
There are two types of SIDs that are utilised in the UK, the old convential style of SID and the new RNAV style of SID Conventional SIDs are the old style of SID where the departing aircraft navigates using “old” methods of navigation like VOR tracking that are not used Read more…
SID and STAR charts can look a little daunting to new people, and therefore, we thought it would be better to explain to you about how to read these charts, and make your job a little easier. For today, we are going to have a look at some Gatwick charts. Read more…