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114:. In that case, some or all aircraft arriving and departing require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit, such as terminal or center control, even though there is no control tower managing landings and takeoffs. Pilots may be able to obtain those clearances by radio, by phone, or through a company dispatcher or local
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When the traffic volume at an airport gets too high for safe and efficient operations, or when the mix of aircraft types and speeds becomes too large, an airport may be considered for a tower. However, it is also necessary to find the money to construct a building and pay the controllers' salaries;
150:(MF) or mandatory traffic advisory airports (MTAF), which operate like towered airports in some ways: the radio operators (typically a flight service station) still issue only advisories, but aircraft are required to make radio contact with the ground station before operating in the airport's
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follow recommended operations and communications procedures for operating at an airport without a control tower. The exact procedures vary from country to country, but they may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as a common communications phraseology by
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Hazards are created by failure to use radios to report positions and intentions when operating within the airspace, which can lead to collisions between aircraft unaware of each other. In 1996, an incoming
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have no authority to give aircraft clearances or instructions, but they can issue advisories to let them know about weather conditions, runway conditions, traffic, and other concerns.
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A mobile airport traffic control tower (MATCT) is a temporary tower in an area with an immediate increase in air traffic density. This may be due to
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ATC service follow non-towered airport procedures when the tower is closed but the airport remains open, for example at night.
425:"Air Traffic Services Process Brief -- Criteria For Establishing Air Traffic Control Towers and the Contract Tower Program"
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aircraft, which failed to report its intent to take off on a common traffic advisory frequency at non-towered
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to assist aircraft arriving, departing, or maneuvering on the ground. These radio operators such as from
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359:"AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) SERVICES AND TEMPORARY MOBILE AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (MATCT)"
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in some cases aviation regulations or local opposition may prevent establishment of the unit.
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58:(ATC) unit. The vast majority of the world's airports are non-towered. In the
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380:"Air Traffic Technical Training at Special Event Temporary Control Towers"
311:"AC 90-66B - Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations – Document Information"
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287:"ASRS CALLBACK Issue 465 - October 2018, Non-Towered Airport Incidents"
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At non-towered airports, instead of receiving instructions from an
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Many non-towered airports have radio to ground operations such as
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Standard US airport traffic pattern. Fig. 4-3-2 from FAA AIM.
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Non-towered airports may lie inside or underneath controlled
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transmissions over a common frequency. For example, a
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16:Airport without an air traffic control tower
285:System, NASA Aviation Safety Reporting.
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335:"Uncontrolled Airport Traffic Pattern"
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265:"Operations at Nontowered Airports"
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246:Pilot-controlled lighting
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76:air traffic controller
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180:wildfire suppression
168:fixed-base operators
241:Air traffic control
184:aerial firefighting
56:air traffic control
44:non-towered airport
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339:www.swaviator.com
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32:Verde Valley
315:www.faa.gov
101:New Zealand
435:2018-06-08
410:2018-06-08
401:"SERVICES"
344:2018-06-08
320:2018-06-08
296:2018-11-16
252:References
70:Operations
50:without a
105:Australia
449:Category
235:See also
229:Illinois
221:King Air
201:Criteria
112:airspace
40:aviation
387:FAA.gov
191:fly-ins
48:airport
28:Arizona
164:UNICOM
158:UNICOM
146:, use
144:Norway
97:Canada
46:is an
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85:radio
54:, or
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210:Risk
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