Royal Victorian Aero Club -

28 May 2008

Australian Advanced Air Traffic Control System (TAAATS) visit  

A bunch of keen aviators from Coldstream, Lilydale and Moorabbin recently ventured to the inner sanctum of Australian air traffic control.

The Australian Advanced Air Traffic Control System (TAAATS) is located in a secure building out the back of Tullamarine airport. During the course of the evening the 20 or so pilots were presented with an audio-visual introduction of TAATS, a brief encounter with the operations room and a chance to watch trainees at work on the simulator.

We were also addressed by the bloke responsible for sending those polite but unfortunate letters advising of pilot transgressions, such as runway incursions etc. This was also a golden opportunity as we were invited to offer feedback regarding issues affecting private pilots.

Sometimes it gets a bit congested at Coldstream. It can get a bit busier at Moorabbin. And from time to time as I gaze across to Tullamarine from my sitting room I can see about 5 jets either taking off or in various parts of circuit and more approaching.

But from this windowless room poked out in the back-yard of Tulla, are controlled half of all the air traffic in Australia; if needed it can take control of all sectors. Inside this room are about 8 rows of desks and each row has about 6 or 7 consoles. These consoles can be configured so that any one of them can control any sector. In the quiet times areas are bundled together, in the busier times more consoles are opened.

At the time of our visit, about a quarter of the consoles were manned and operating. We were allowed inside the room, but only just. Enough to glimpse the pumping heart of ATC.

The simulator was a room, not surprisingly, quite similar to the main control room with a set of “pilots” behind a glass partition, turning up the heat on various trainee controllers. All the simulator consoles could be put “on-line” if required. We were able to witness a simulation of controllers doing their job.

All of the consoles had several screens plus an intercom between controllers. On the main screen each aircraft in the sector was tagged with its call sign and identified with colours and symbols. When the mouse cursor was placed over aircraft call sign, a pop up displayed the altitude, heading and speed. Aircraft in the sector were tagged with different colours for arrival and departure. Aircraft that were being handed over or accepted were flashing in another colour. Around each aircraft was a circle indicating minimum separation standards. At any one time perhaps 10 or 20 aircraft might be on the display.

The intercoms are used even when controllers sit beside the next sector controller, this is to enable recordings of all conversations. (Perhaps akin to sending an SMS to your partner in the galley requesting another cuppa for the Captain prior to a flight-sim descent into Heathrow.)

A injection of fun was created with the prize of a non flying model of an overfed de-identified Airbus, offered for anyone who could identify a an organisation no longer in existence, during the video presentation. See picture.

The trip gave considerable insight to the day in the life of an ATC, and perhaps a greater understanding of what is happening at the other end of the microphone.

Thanks to Dave Porter for organising a flock of disorganised pilots to arrive at the right place at the right time for a great tour of TAAATS.