Photo By Staff Sgt. Austin Harvill | Staff Sgt. Stefan Husley, 31st Operations Support Squadron Radar Approach Control air...... read more read more
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AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy - A small prop plane soars through cumulus clouds that form a halo around the Dolomites. The aircraft dips to the right as the pilot soaks in the sight of the far-off Mediterranean Sea before making the homeward turn for a small airstrip in Tuscany.
As it flies home, a local air traffic controller chimes directions into the pilot’s headset, but he isn’t speaking Italian. This controller is a Wyvern from the 31st Operations Support Squadron Radar Approach Control center at Aviano Air Base, Italy.
“We’re responsible for about 9,500 cubic miles of air space just outside of Aviano,” said Staff Sgt. Stefan Hulsey, 31st OSS RAPCON air traffic controller. “That means we monitor a 10 to 40 mile radius from the base before we relinquish control to another controller.”
The RAPCON center guides pilots through their airspace to ensure safe flights for all aircraft in their airspace.
“Most people think we only deal with our jets, but our responsibility is to manage the airspace around us and whatever happens to be in it,” said Hulsey. “Our Italian air force controllers typically deal with the civilians in our airspace, but we all have the capability and proficiency to direct any aircraft.”
Most instructions from the RAPCON center revolve around separation, which means the distance one aircraft is from another or from hazards like mountains or buildings. After separation instructions, RAPCON personnel give initial landing guidance for any aircraft intending to land at Aviano if conditions allow it.
“If we have bad weather, poor visibility or unsafe runway conditions, we won’t bring a jet in to land,” said Husley. “In those scenarios, we’ll either wait for the conditions to improve or redirect the aircraft.”
Husley and his co-workers are able to relay those messages thanks to the phraseology understood by all controllers and pilots.
“In the skies, you can’t have any miscommunication,” said Husley. “If I need to tell a jet to climb or drop in altitude, or turn left or right, I can’t simply say so—there is a system.”
The structured phrases allow controllers to direct pilots quickly and without confusion. According to Husley, communication between pilots and controllers is vital especially when talking to multiple Italian and American aircraft.
“We are always talking to one another, usually more often than we speak with pilots,” said Husley. “This is Italian airspace that we control together. Both parties are aware of the current situation at all times so we can provide assistance to anyone in the air no matter who is working the mic.”
From the small prop plane passing through or the F-16 preparing to land, the competency and capabilities of the 31st OSS RAPCON center ensure pilots safely traverse Aviano’s skies.
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2016 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 193402 |
| Location: | AVIANO AIR BASE, IT |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, RAPCON reaches beyond Wyvern skies, by SSgt Austin Harvill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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