Air traffic control

Air traffic control (ATC) is a service mostly provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other support for pilots when able. In some countries, ATC may also play a security or defense role (as in the United States), or actually be run entirely by the military (as in Brazil).

FlightGear and ATC

There is the limited possibility of ATC with FlightGear v0.9.10 and v1.0.0.

Frequencies

Menu > ATC/ AI
Set the right frequencies and around your choosen airport you can read (or here with festival) the ATC-Messages for AI-traffic. For that you have to check under options "enable ATC". If you check "enable AI Traffic" too, you will have some AI traffic (c172) around the airports.

ATC Chatter

Menu > Sound Configuration
Check "ATC Chatter" to hear some random records of real-ATC. For the right feeling! ;-)

Frequency

Set the right frequency to COM1 with '-key you will have the possibility in some areas to send messages

ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service)

Set the right frequency of the ATIS to COM 1 and you will hear the ATIS for the choosen Airport (unfortunately a little bit low)

Multiplayer

Sometimes someone plays the "Tower" at the multiplayer server with using the ATC-aircraft. You can communicate with Menu > View > Chat or using predefined messages with Menu > View > Chat Menu. If you want to talk, instead of type, you can use FGCOM too! But be aware not all controllers have FGCOM.

There is not yet an artificial-interactive ATC implemented, so the ATC-system in FlightGear is still limited.

Related content

• ATC phraseology lists common phraseology and what is meant with it.
• ATC Tutorial to find out how ATC should be used.
• Howto: Be a controller to learn how to set yourself up as an ATC in FlightGear.