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• AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

Aerodrome  Control

Approach Control

Area Control

• Flight Information Service

• Alerting Service

• Aeronautical Information Services

• Air Transport Licensing Authority

• Flight Safety Services

• Telecommunications and Electronics

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OPERATIONS OF THE  TECHNICAL SERVICES

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SERVICES.

Under the ICAO Convention, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobag(GoRTT) has responsibility for the provision of air traffic services within the airspace above its territory. In addition to this, the (GoRTT) has been delegated the responsiblity for the provision of Air Traffic Services within an airspace of some 750,000 square miles. This includes the airspace over the entire group of Eastern Caribbean islands.

 This delegation was made by the International Civil Aviation Organization of which Trinidad and Tobago is a member.

Aerodrome and Approach Control Service.
(Location of Units)

Aerodrome and Approach Control are services provided by Air Traffic Controllers who work in the Control Tower at the top the old terminal building at Piarco International Airport, and from a separate and specially built structure at the Crown Point airport in Tobago. The management  of aircraft on the apron (or tarmac) of the new international airport is controlled by Airport Authority personnel operating from a separate control tower on the top of the new terminal building. The function of such personnel is considered as Apron Management. After an aircraft lands communication with the aircraft is transferred as soon as practicable to the Controller in the new tower.

Area Control Service, (both Procedural and Radar Control) is provided from the Area Control Centre (ACC), located just off the Caroni North Bank Road, Piarco.
 

Aerodrome Control Service -
Function

Aerodrome Control is responsible for directing aircraft on the ground and those flying with visual reference to terrain, in the immediate vicinity of the airport.

Aerodrome Control is often complex. Aircraft carrying out repetitive training flights must be integrated with all normal arrivals and departures. High-speed aircraft must be mixed with light and smaller aircraft during take- offs and landings. During these operations standard separation must be maintained at all times.

Approach Control Service -
Function

Approach Control is responsible for the separation of all aircraft arriving and departing at Piarco and Crown Point, including training aircraft and helicopter operations. It is the service that is provided for all aircraft flying within the Piarco Control Zone with reference to their electronic instruments as opposed to those flying by visual reference to terrain. 
(Map of Airspace controlled by Piarco)

The Piarco Approach Control Zone encompasses the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and extends from the surface up to 8,500 feet. The airspace above and beyond this area falls under the jurisdiction of the Area Control Centre.

When an inbound aircraft is approximately 30 miles from the airport, the Controller at the Piarco Area Control Centre communicates with the Approach Controller to give details of the aircraft's height and estimated time of arrival and other pertinent details, and then transfers this aircraft to the Approach controller at the appropriate time. The Aerodrome/Approach Controller establishes the correct landing interval between them and ensures that all aircraft under his/her control are correctly separated before and during landing.

At Piarco, as at many other international airports, Aerodrome and Approach Control services are integrated and therefore provided by the same controller.

Area Control-
(Functions and General Overview)

At the Area Control Centre (ACC) on the Caroni North Bank Road, basic control of aircraft is conducted within an area of 750,000 square miles (2 million square kilometers) known as the Piarco Flight Information Region (FIR). The lateral extent of the airspace encompasses the entire area over which Piarco's controllers have jurisdiction. The vertical extent of the airspace lies from 6000 feet in most areas to unlimited, except for the local airspaces (Terminal Control Areas) delegated by international agreement to each of the Eastern Caribbean states. Throughout all airspaces, flight information is provided to all known aircraft.

However a large portion of this FIR  is "controlled" through the provision of positive instructions to aircraft, while in other parts of the airspace, (as previously stated) the controller's authority is officially limited to the provision of flight information only. This portion of now uncontrolled airspace will be upgraded to controlled airspace when all relevant criteria for upgrading can be met and the necessary equipment installed.

Flight Information Service-
Function (Back to Functions)

Flight Information Service (FIS) is a service which may be separate, but is usually  incorporated within other Control services, the purpose of which is to provide  advice and information useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights.

Such information may consist of present or forecast weather, collision hazards to aircraft legally operating without the benefit of positive instructions or control.

Alerting Service- Function

At Piarco, Alerting service is a sub-function of all the services provided. Generally this is a service provided to notify appropriate organizations regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue aid and to assist such organizations as required. The Piarco controller alerts the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard Stations which initiate the Search and Rescue if necessary. The  Coast Guard co-ordinates with other regional Search and Rescue authorities.

Area Control (Radar)

A portion of the Piarco FIR, from Saint Lucia in the North, to Barbados to the East, Margarita (in Venezuelan airspace) to the West and the South American mainland (in Venezuelan and Guyana airspace) to the South, is covered by Piarco's highly effective air traffic control Radar System, located at Morne Catherine. From here the radar signals are routed to the Piarco ACC and used for the control of air traffic. Skilled air traffic controllers can manage and control air traffic more effectively by the use of Radar.

Area Control (Procedural)

The remainder of the airspace is controlled by making use of other internationally standardised procedures, where controllers, depending on their own time computations and pilot reports, determine and maintain the required spacing or separation between aircraft under their control.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS. (Back to Functions)

Communication with aircraft in controlled airspace is effected via a series of Very High Frequency (VHF) relay stations so regionally located, as to completely cover the airspace within which positive air traffic control is provided. The remainder of the airspace previously referred to as uncontrolled airspace, is covered by High Frequency Single Side Band (SSB) (HF) radio. 

The installation and maintenance of modern air navigation equipment is an essential feature in the safe and efficient operation of Air Traffic Services.

The Telecommunications unit is located in the old terminal building at Piarco. 

An Electronics Engineer who is in charge, works with a number of electronics technicians. The section is responsible for the planning, directing, and implementation of programmes for the installation, repair and maintenance of the telecommunications and electronics equipment owned or operated by the CAA. The unit also makes recommendations to the Director  General for the modernisation of existing equipment, the purchasing of equipment spares, and ensures that the specifications of the air navigation aids for which the CAA is responsible, are in compliance with the relevant national and international technical standards.

AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION SERVICES (AIS) (Back to Functions)

Exchange of Information

AIS is the major service responsible for the dissemination of Aeronautical Information of concern to pilots, aircraft operators and other Air Traffic control authorities on an international basis.

The Aeronautical Information Center (AIC) is now located in the terminal building at the airport.

Prior to an aircraft taking off on a flight from Piarco or Crown Point airports, the flight crew must provide Air Traffic Services with basic information on the flight so that Air Traffic Control can keep aircraft safely separated and have information on the flight in case there is a need for alerting or search and rescue services. Such procedures exist at all international airports.

This information, called a Flight Plan, consists of aircraft radio callsign, speed of aircraft, height and route to be flown, number of persons on board and destination. The information is provided in the format specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
 

Flight Plans are collected by the Aeronautical Information Centre, and checked for accuracy by Piarco's Air Traffic Control Assistants, before they are transmitted to all the concerned air traffic services units. This is accomplished via a communication network known as the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN). The function of this network is to pass messages containing not just Flight Plan information, but meteorological and all other messages related to flight safety.

The AIS also provides airline operators and pilots with information on airport facilities, services, air navigation facilities and related procedures. This is usually in the form of a message called a NOTAM or via information in a one-time publication called the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). The information in this AIP document must be amended from time to time by various means, as safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness of air operations depend on all flight safety information being current and easily available to the airline operators and pilots in a timely manner.

The Eastern Caribbean Region has one main centrally located message reception and transmission centre, which is located at Piarco.  It is referred to as the Port of Spain AFTN Switching Centre. This Switching Centre is fully automatic and is connected to similar switching centres in Caracas, Venezuela; and Atlanta, USA, all of which form part of the Global Aviation Communication System.

The AIS unit operates a 24-hour, uninterrupted AIS and AFTN Switching Service.

FLIGHT SAFETY SERVICES  (Back to Functions)

The Regulatory Section of the Civil Aviation Division

The Flight Safety Centre is located opposite to the old terminal building at Piarco. The Executive Manager Safety Regulationis in charge of this section.

Before a local airline or private flying company can be registered in Trinidad and Tobago, it must apply for and receive approval from the Civil Aviation Authority.

The company must prove that it has the managerial, financial and other resources to ensure that all air operations of the company can be conducted legally and in accordance with the required safety practices. This is particularly applicable if the company is being established as a public transport company, to fly either domestically or to overseas destinations.

Air Operators

The CAA therefore inspects the operations of all local airlines, and small operators to ensure compliance with CAA, but more importantly legal requirements. These inspections usually culminate in the issuing of Air Operators Certificates and Certificates of Airworthiness. The latter is a certificate issued to a company with respect to a particular aircraft, stating that this aircraft has met the required legal standards and is airworthy or fit, and is authorised to fly.

As a result of the many regulatory requirements, the CAA maintains very close liaison with all airlines and flying companies registered in Trinidad and Tobago in order to ensure that an acceptable standard of safety is maintained with respect to their air operations. Such liaison also seeks to ensure that pilots have the flying skills and have met the stringent medical requirements; and that log books and operations manuals of these aircraft operators meet the legal requirements.

Airport Authorities

The CAA also ensures via its regulatory authority, that the airport characteristics, runway markings, and fire and rescue services at Trinidad and Tobago's international airports meet the CAA/ICAO standards as laid down by the ICAO convention and the Civil Aviation regulations.

Air Traffic Services

The CAA through its Flight Safety Services also ensures compliance, within the air traffic services, with standards of air traffic control that meet the CAA/ICAO criteria. When there is an incident, reported by either air traffic control or a pilot, the report is investigated and action taken with a view to possible elimination of the factors that may lead to the recurrence of a similar situation.

The CAA also maintains very close liaison with the International Civil Aviation Organisation from which originates the documentation relative to international aviation requirements, standards and general criteria for the operation of civil aviation, whether in the regulatory environment or otherwise.

THE AIR TRANSPORT LICENSING AUTHORITY  (Back to Functions)

The Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) is a ministerially appointed Committee whose Terms of Reference include the following:-

The granting and issuing of operating licences to scheduled airlines, giving due consideration to the details of negotiated bi-lateral air service agreements.

The regulating of passenger fares and freight rates charged by airlines so as to prevent instability and unfair practices in the industry.

Ensuring that both local and foreign registered aircraft engaged in scheduled air services are maintained to the required standards, and are operated with the expected degree of regularity and efficiency.

In addition the CAA provides administrative and clerical support for the meetings of the ATLA which are generally held at the CAA Administrative Centre on the Golden Grove Road, opposite the Old terminal building at Piarco.

(Back to Functions)

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