History of ATC

Evolution of Air Traffic Control

Prior to the early 1930s, air traffic did not warrant an air traffic control system. Aircraft were slow and could easily avoid each other Flights were conducted in VFR conditions In the late 30s, instrument flying was coming of age

Evolution of Air Traffic Control

Airspace around airports became congested Airports rarely had a designated runway Pilots decided on which runway to land

Air Traffic Controllers Evolve (Flags)

Archie W. League, first air traffic controller
St. Louis, Mo.. Had first ATC Every morning, Mr.. League would take his wheelbarrow with a beach umbrella, a beach chair, water, a note pad, a pair of colored flags and his lunch Both summer and winter. For 36 years.

Light Guns
Colored flags were replaced with light guns Gun, equipped with different color lenses to permit controller to change the color of the light Most of busy airports built control towers, with light guns still being used today

Light Gun Limitations

Controllers had to continually look for aircraft Pilots were usually not paying attention to light signals Controllers had no means of knowing if pilots got the signal

Radio Communications
Modern System of ATC born at Cleveland Built a control tower and equipped it with radio communications devices Controllers could directly talk to pilots, night or day, good or bad weather No standardization of rules

Radio Communications (Cont.)

Controllers were federally certified, but still employees of airport Pilots were not obligated to obey their instructions Despite limitations, system worked well

1934-1945
1934 Congress created the Bureau of Air Commerce
Agency responsible regulation of traffic on nation airways Federal Govt. responsible for licensing of pilots, establishment of airways and nav aids and separation and safety of aircraft using airways

1934-1945
Established rules for pilots flying in IMC Most large cities had ATC Towers Need was for enroute portion of flight Feds requested airlines establish Airway Traffic Control Units (ATCU) First ATCU in Newark NJ

1934-1945
During VFR conditions, pilots were responsible for separation During IFR conditions ATCU was to separate traffic Four airlines involved in startup of ATCUs, TWA, American, Eastern and United

Enroute Air Traffic Control

Airlines open new centers in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Oakland Staffed by airline personnel

Problems
Not all traffic contacted centers
Military Non-commercial No direct contact with controllers

Copeland Committee
On May 6, 1935, a TWA airliner crashed around Kirksville, MO. With Senator Bronson M. Cutting of New Mexico Royal S. Copeland was appointed to head a committee to report on air traffic safety and the operations of the Bureau of Air Commerce

Copeland Committee (Contd)

Scathing but biased indictment of the Bu. Of Air Com
Insufficient funding and maintenance of airway navaids Blame placed on pilots by Bu. Of Air Com Issue pointed out inadequacies of ATC system in nation

Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938

Created Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) Divided functions of CAA into three groups
Civil Aeronautics Authority, responsible for issuing airline route certificates and determining fares

Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 (Cont)

Independent Air Safety Board formed to investigate air accidents and make safety recommendations CAA administrator charged with fostering aviation, maintaining the airways and controlling air traffic Provide CAA certifications for air traffic controllers in Control Towers

1945-1955
International Civil Aviation Organization formed in 1947 Special Committee report 31
Recommended one common air traffic control system serve both civilian and military

New Problems
Faster aircraft More traffic More congestion around large cities

1955-1965
Implementation of Radar Military wanted their radar, whereas the CAA wanted a new radar designed for locating, tracking and separating highaltitude aircraft 1956, first air route surveillance radar purchased by CAA, implemented in 1957

Airway Safety
Two accidents contributed to the advancement of modernization of ATC system
June 30, 1956 TWA and United had a midair over the Grand Canyon December 16, 1960 again TWA and United had a midair this time over NYC Several other midair's that caught the attention of the public

Establishment of the FAA

Federal Aviation Agency created on December 31, 1958 FAA now received funding directly from congress

Project Beacon 1961

Task force to investigate the air traffic control system and make recommendations for improving it Final report stated that FAA had no overall coordination or direction

Project Beacon 1961 (Cont.)

Said that current radar system would have to modernized
Radar Data Processing (RDP) Automated radar terminal system (ARTS)

Controller Unionization
Executive order 10988 gave trade unions right to represent ATC ATCA, Air Traffic Controllers Assn NAGE, National Association of Government Employees NAATS, National Association of Air Traffic Specialists

Controller Unionization
PATCO, Professional Air Traffic Controller Organization
Created by controllers and F. Lee Bailey One of the more militant and vocal controller organizations

1965 to Present
Department of Transportation formed in 1967 FAA was now known as the Federal Aviation Administration NTSB created
independent agency charged with investigating and determining the cause of transportation accidents

Labor Problems
Union members blaming FAA for stalling on new equipment Labor said that FAA was not hiring enough new controllers to keep up with traffic demands Operation Air Safety
Go strictly by separation standards First of many slowdowns

Airline Deregulation 1978

Airlines free to establish routes New Airline startups More traffic
activity increased at airports faster than controllers could be trained

Hub and Spoke

Controllers Strike of 1981

PATCO leadership staged illegal strike Controllers were warned by FAA, Congress and President Regan that this action was illegal Over 10000 controllers participated in this action and were fired by the president Flow Control

Future of the System

New union
NATCA National Air Traffic Controllers Association New systems