8.2 Air Traffic Control Entities
8.2 Air Traffic Control Entities Air traffic control is divided amongst different sectors. Each piece of the puzzle plays an important role in managing air travel and its safety. The two entities I want to focus on are the terminal radar approach control (TRACON) and air traffic control tower (ATCT). TRACON supports air traffic management by handling departing and approaching aircraft within its space. “TRACONs are FAA facilities that house air traffic controllers who use radar displays and radios to guide aircraft approaching and departing airports generally within a 30- to 50-mile radius up to 10,000 feet, as well as aircraft that may be flying over that airspace (Radar Approach, 2019).” A TRACON is different from an ATCT first because there can be multiple ATCT’s within a TRACON’s radius so they operate on a further scale. Secondly though an ATCT is handling departing and approaching, they do not handle takeo...