How ATC Really Works - A Pilot-Friendly Manual (PilotWorkshops)
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Go behind the scenes with ATC and get answers to the questions pilots ask most
- 127 pages—fully illustrated with color photos and graphics
- Question/answer format
- Clear explanations, real-world examples, and realistic scenarios
- Digital manual looks great on an iPad; keep it in your EFB app for easy access
- Spiral bound printed manual also included
- Includes links to useful reference material
A deeper understanding of the ATC system
There’s much more to Air Traffic Control than talking on the radio. While most pilots are fluent in aviation phraseology, few have had the benefit of going behind the scenes to learn how ATC really works.
The ATC system is more complex than most pilots realize. Radio communications is only part of the story. A great deal of teamwork and coordination happens between (and within) Towers, TRACONs, and Centers—and most of it’s invisible to you from the cockpit.
We’ll take you behind the scenes and show you how the system works, how controllers do their jobs, and what they can and can’t do for you. You’ll see what happens on the ATC side when you take a typical—or not so typical—VFR or IFR flight. You’ll discover the variety of tools controllers have at their fingertips, the different ways they can provide assistance (when you know what to ask for), and how pilots and controllers can work together more effectively.
Reading this manual is like sitting down with a controller for a conversation about ATC. It will give you a deeper understanding of their world—an understanding you’ll be glad to have.
Topics include
- The system at work: how controllers are trained, anatomy of a controller’s cockpit, how landlines work
- Talking to ATC: what you must read back to the controller, how to sound like a pro on the radio, when to say “unable”
- VFR requests: the best way to request flight following, why ATC doesn’t know about VFR flight plans, what to know about MOAs
- Around the tower: when to call clearance delivery, how to exit the runway after landing, visual separation services
- IFR flight plans and clearances: the anatomy of a flight progress strip, what “awaiting release” really means, how to get a pop-up IFR
- Radar: how ATC can tell which target is you, different radar equipment, the anatomy of a STARS display,
- Weather: how a controller’s weather display compares to your in-cockpit display, ATC vectoring techniques, braking reports
- IFR departures and approaches: what ATC knows about ODPs, what “join the final approach course” means, flying the course reversal
- Special requests: special considerations controllers have for student pilots, how to coordinate a photo mission, managing TFRs
- Serious situations: what happens when you declare an emergency, lost comms procedures, ATC help with VFR into IMC
Sample page
Comes with both formats
This manual is available on Sporty’s Pilot Training platform, so you can read the digital version online or on your tablet—alongside all your Sporty’s courses. Powerful reading tools are included, like highlighting, search, and bookmarks. Or download the PDF for easy reading on all your devices, with or without an internet connection. You might even leave the 8.5” x 11” spiral-bound book in your flight bag!
Digital (PDF)
- Quick and easy download
- Instantly available in Sporty's Pilot Training App
- Looks great on iPad
Printed Manual
- Spiral-bound 8.5” x 11” manual
- All the same features of the PDF
- Free shipping
