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vZTL - Atlanta Center - Lesson 3
This session is estimated to take roughly 90 minutes. Probably closer to 2 hours if we're being real.
STANDARDS TO ACHIEVE / Introduction to En-Route:
- Issue hazardous weather information utilizing prescribed phraseology
Holy shit… finally, something NEW! Weather. It's a phenomenon that we always experience, even when its as “boring” as CAVOK 1).
Weather presents a variety of challenges in the en-route environment for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, for all the advances that we've made in the field of meteorology 2), weather is still a highly volatile and unpredictable field. Airplanes will request to deviate around absolutely nothing, because they see something you can't/don't/wont!
Weather radar provides only one glimpse into the atmospheric conditions 3), but it doesn’t always tell us what the fluid of air that makes up our atmosphere is doing.
You gotta learn your clouds, son, doesn’t just make for good TV - it’s good practical practice, as well. What clouds are doing is an excellent indicator of the conditions of a parcel 4) in live time. Towering Cumulonimbus clouds are a warning sign of bumpy atmospheric conditions now and potentially devastating weather impacts later.
The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge gives excellent insight into what the cross section of what Towering Cumulonimbus clouds tend to build up to.
Note the red arrows indicating the movement of air upwards5) and the blue arrows denoting the movement of air downwards6).
I wrote a whole bunch of shit but it got deleted. I have this video still in my browser, though…
So, from scratch we go:
The 2nd and 3rd panels of the image above denote what would be displayed on your radar. Unfortunately, there is a significant delay between the event happening & it being depicted on your radar, as the process of scanning the atmosphere (both horizontally AND vertically), and compiling all the layers of data, takes a significant amount of time (upwards of 10-ish minutes). Airborne wx radar8) is usually faster at compiling weather radar, but is not as powerful and is also susceptible to errors.
Here's what the weather should look like on your end:
The left poster depicts precipitation in the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. On the right, although slightly obscured, is the weather depiction on the En-Route Automation Modernization program.
For VATSIM purposes, the STARS weather radar display is out of service. I don't know why the vERAM weather is different but here's what vERAM depicts:
IN ORDER: MODERATE .. HEAVY .. EXTREME..
Let's take a look at calling weather to aircraft. It's similar to calling traffic:
First and foremost, the most important aspect of any transmission, is to ensure that the message is understood. For that purpose, we start with prescribed phraseology, and then may use plain-speech English or other methods of elaborating on the content.
The .65 states that you9) must issue “pertinent information on observed/reported weather”.
Let's start with the prescribed phraseology that should be somewhat familiar to you… weather in the form of a “traffic” call.
Area of <intensity> precipitation, between <left> o'clock and <right> o'clock, <distance> miles, moving <direction> at <number> knots, tops <altitude>. Area is <number> of miles in diameter.
You can omit stuff you don't know. I have never, ever, issued the “direction and velocity” of a storm cell. So really, when you water it down10), you'll end up with something like:
Area of <intensity> precipitation, between <left> o'clock and <right> o'clock, <distance> miles. Area is <number> of miles in diameter.11)
Usually useful for describing single cells. Great. Uno problemo.
Hazardous Weather doesn't always present itself as a single cell. Hell I'ma do then?
Well, you can also describe the weather terms of the general width of the area/area of coverage in terms of fixes or distance and direction of fixes. It'll sound something like
Weather area from <fix/number of miles & direction from fix> to <fix/number of miles & direction from fix>. You'll also find the term “along your route of flight” to be a very, very useful phrase when it comes to disseminating weather to aircrews flying ALONG a fucking squall line.
Example:
N7835U, Area of Heavy to Extreme Precipitation, from your one o'clock to your four o'clock,
UAL1972, areas of moderate to heavy precipitation, along your route of flight from your present position until the Charlotte Airport.
You'll notice in that second image, the scratchpad includes some funky shit. I guess there's no time like the present.
Airplanes (real world: never, network: sometimes don't) want to fly through areas of moderate (or heavier) precipitation. Sometimes, you'll be able to issue a heading (or a weather avoidance route) to avoid most storm problems. Othertimes, it'll be easier to let flight crews find holes through the system on their own.
Regardless, one integral rule of working center is that the datablock or flight plan needs to reflect what the airplane is doing. Heading? In the datablock. Speed? In the datablock. Assigned Altitude? In the datablock*12). Deviations, would naturally, need to be in the datablock.
Weather deviations can be initiated by you (the controller), or the pilot.
UAL1972, Deviations right of course approved, when able, proceed direct JONZE. or, perhaps,
UAL1972, deviation south approved, when able, fly heading 070, vector to rejoin the arrival, and advise.
The deviation can be watered down, as simple as, deviation approved, and built on from there. The good book wants us to have aircraft advise clear of weather whenever we can't issue an instruction to rejoin the route13).
If you don't want to give a pilot the deviation they requested, you can alternatively say something along the lines of unable requested deviation, fly heading <wutevaaa>, advise clear of weather.
STANDARDS TO ACHIEVE / Altitude Changes:
Define and compute basic descent math to ensure aircraft meet crossing restrictions
STANDARDS TO ACHIEVE / En-Route Control:
Utilize prescribed phraseology to alert crossing traffic of each other
OBJECTIVES TO ACHIEVE: For the session to be marked complete, the student must have successfully: Vectored and/or issued speed instructions to aircraft to meet Miles-In-Trail (MIT) requirements. Identified and ensured LOA items were followed and met. Issued a hazardous weather information call using prescribed phraseology Issued and terminated holding instructions
you MIGHT issue the diameter