Introduction to Local Control

1. Local Control

Every flight starts and ends at an airport, and it is the local controllers who pilots rely on during some of the most challenging phases of flight: takeoff and landing. The goal of a local controller is to ensure safe and efficient flow of landing and departing aircraft in his airspace.

Unlike Approach or Center controllers who look at their radar scopes to separate aircraft, you as a local controller will, generally, rely directly on the picture you see out of your tower cab window. The nature of computer simulation limits us in the available ways of observing airport conditions, but even when using VATSIM radar screens, tower controllers should keep the spirit of a natural human eye interaction to preserve realism. Multi-monitor users may find the VRC Virtual Tower mode to be the closest analogy to the real view from tower.

{Reference: FAAO 7110.65 3-1-1 "Provide service;" 3-1-12 "Visual scanning runways."}

2. Radar Client Setup

a. Whenever working a tower position, set the visibility range to no greater than 50 miles - this is the maximum authorized range for this position on VATSIM.

b. It's a good idea to setup a voice ATIS for the airport under your control. Reference the vZLA "Requirements for Controller Info Template and Voice ATIS" SOP for details on the format to be used. Whenever you update the ATIS, ground, departure, and approach controllers for the airport should be advised of this. It is often preferred to use private chat to notify these controllers of ATIS updates rather than the ATC broadcast, as the latter creates an unnecessary distraction for the other controllers not affected by your ATIS.