At the ATCEG we try to provide learning oppurtunities for aspiring IFATC, so I thought this would be a great way to educate our members and the community. If you are a fan of the IFMP question of the day like I am, then you will know the format.
How it will work. One of our staff members will post a question submitted by an IFATC member in the topic each time we receive one. Answer the poll, feel free to discuss it with fellow members in the comments. The answer, and explanation will be posted that night.
Two aircraft are on their ascent into the pattern on parallel runways, 26L and 26R, in fully clear weather. ABC1 is on 26L, and 123A is on 26R. Both aircraft are still on upwind, when 123A requests a runway change to 26L. ABC1 is still in the pattern for 26L. Which answer represents the most appropriate immediate action?
(A) Deny runway to change to 123A and remove him from the pattern through the use of “Depature Approved, then switching him to Departure if available.
(B) Instruct him to “Go Around”, request a “slowest practical speed” to avoid collision, and sequence him number 2 behind ABC1, and clear him for the option.
Edit: Unfortunately while scrolling I clicked (B), that is one of the incorrect answers, so just ignore that one. I cannot remove the vote, and neither can a moderator. Creating a new poll will delete the results.
The correct answer is (D), 80% of you got it right. đź‘Ť
(A) is incorrect because an aircraft should not be removed from the pattern unless traffic overwhelms the airport and the controller’s abilities to also accommodate patterns. In this case, with two runways, a controller should be more than able to accommodate two aircraft. Keep in mind that aircraft control is at the discretion of the controller, and a controller can deny a runway change at any time they wish.
(B) is incorrect because a go around is not the proper response to a runway change request. Following that, spacing after sequencing is the responsibility of the pilot, and using speed commands for this matter can be seen as overcontrolling. Proper use of these commands on a tower frequency would be for timing departures in between arrivals, and is rarely used for spacing sequenced aircraft.
(D) is correct because a proper response to a pattern entry request will either by a denial, or a pattern entry. This is because each runway has its own pattern. This means the simple task of switching runways requires switching patterns, and entering a new in. To shorten commands, a sequencing command can be added in conjunction to make one, overall shorter message. Following that up, and a later time possibly, a clearance command can be given. This should be done later, around downwind or base, to ensure that no re-sequencing is required, and if so, re-sequencing is much easier.
