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Flight service stations are also called Airport Radios. Airport radios provide weather and traffic information for a given airport, and occasionally multiple airports. They also relay IFR clearances and SVFR authorizations from the appropriate IFR unit. The services provided resemble Clearance, Ground and Tower rolled into one, but instead of issuing instructions and clearances they only suggest actions to pilots - and the pilot makes the final decision.
Airport radios are responsible for the Mandatory Frequency Area (MFA) / control zone around their respective aerodromes: generally, it is 5nm in diameter, surface to 3000ft AAE (above aerodrome elevation).
In addition to the general guidelines a FSS operator must:
Important: All IVAO controllers, regardless of division, MUST have passed an oral evaluation with the training staff before attempting to control a Flight service station, or airport radio. FSS operators must be at least S3.
On IVAO, flight service specialists provide the airport advisory service (AAS), as well as ATC support and weather monitoring. Before opening a FSS position, make sure you have the appropriate sector file for the airport you are going to be working at. It is also important to have all charts (IFR + VFR), and be familiar with your airport entry in CFS. The main thing to remember when acting as FSS is to never give instructions or clearances, unless it is being relayed on behalf of an IFR unit. In that case, we will use "ATC clears" or "ATC instructs" prefixes in front of the clearance / instruction.
On initial contact with an airplane, determine his identification, aircraft type, position, altitude, intentions (ETA, etc.). When you have everything in hand and know exactly what the pilot intends to do, provide AAS:
ACA123, active runway 22, wind 200 at 10, altimeter 2993, traffic Boeing 737 4 miles final runway 22
JZA7802, request you extend downwind, traffic Airbus 320 taxiing for departure of runway 22
Afterwards, confirm pilot's intentions. Intended runway, turn after departure, intentions to join circuit at arrival... Monitor aircraft evolution, ask for position reports if you are not able to see the aircraft on the radar, and make sure pilots are aware of others and can see them. It is possible to provide options for pilots to avoid each other, and in the worst case, you can request something. But don't forget, you are not allowed to give instructions. These are only requests and it's up to the pilot to decide what to do.Hand off
Airport radios hand departing IFR traffic to the competent ACC unit once airborne, before passing 2000ft. Departures still have to monitor FSS frequency until leaving the zone. FSS will receive arriving IFR traffic once cleared for an approach, usually between 10 and 30 miles out. VFR traffic should contact airport radios at least 5 minutes prior to entering their zone.
This section includes additional MANOPS procedures that have been approved and can be applied in Canada.
No special procedures exist for this position at this time.
It is not very likely that you will have more then one aircraft at the same time when working a Radio position, which will make your work easy enough.
Airport advisory service (AAS) is provided to all aircraft departing, arriving or crossing the airport zone, and includes the following:
ATC support consists to relay IFR clearances from ATC to IFR pilots.
Weather moniroring is self explanatory, monitor weather and inform pilots about it.
When a conflict is possible between two aircraft, advise both pilots and provide solutions so they can avoid each other. Make sure both pilots can see each other.
Here are some different situations you may encounter.
VFR departing: check flight plan to know intentions, provice AAS, get pilot intentions and monitor his movement until cleared of the zone. Advise any other aircraft in conflict.
VFR arriving: get aircraft information (position, altitude, intentions, ETA..), provide AAS, get pilot intentions concerning intended runway, advise any other aircraft in conflict. Monitor aircraft movement until he is parked on apron.
VFR crossing zone: Get aircraft information (position, altitude, intentions, ETA abeam station), provide AAS, advise any other aircraft in conflict. Monitor aircraft movement until cleared of the zone.
IFR departing: check flight plan to know destination, provide AAS, get pilot intentions. Advise any other aircraft in conflict. Contact ATC to obtain IFR clearance, then relay it. If there is no ATC, do NOT issue any clearance. Monitor aircraft movement until cleared of the zone. If there is an ATC online, advise him when the aircraft is airborne.
IFR arriving: get aircraft information (position, altitude, intentions, ETA..), provide AAS, get pilot intentions concerning intended runway, advise any other aircraft in conflict. Monitor aircraft movement until he is parked on apron. If there is an ATC online, advise him when the aircraft touches down.
We recommend airport radios use the same settings as towers would: Use the NARDS colour scheme (available in the downloads section) with Ground detail, VORs, NDBs, Runway centrelines, LO airspace and LO airways turned on. Set your altitude filter to the top of your control zone + 1200ft (e.g. CZ is SFC-3200; you would set the filter to SFC-4400ft), and use a range between 12 and 25nm, or as specified in the airport procedures.