If you are wondering how each aircraft gets to its destination safely in the U.S and worldwide, it’s because of these basic technologies: radio, radar, and the GPS satellite system.
Air Traffic Control Tower
In 1920, London was the first airport in the world to introduce local air traffic control using radio. It provided basic traffic, weather, and location information to pilots. The first U.S. airport traffic control tower opened in Cleveland in 1930 using radio too. Radar was used in the 1950s to monitor and control the busy airspace around larger airports and eventually between airports. GPS satellites and radio helped the safety of domestic and international flights when out of radar range, primarily over ocean areas.
After a Grand Canyon midair collision in 1956, the FAA was given air-traffic responsibility in the United States in 1958, and this was followed by other countries. In 2001, the European Union created a “Single European Sky” air traffic control for all their combined countries.
Passenger and larger aircraft pilots are given instructions on what radio frequencies to use with the help of the plane’s transponder that gives the flight number, direction, speed, altitude, and crash avoidance system. There are several backup systems on these aircraft for increased safety.
Each regional traffic control center (ATC) in the U.S. with the help of their computerized radar system knows the flight number, destination route, and altitude at a minimum of each aircraft flying above 18K feet (controlled airspace). Aircraft below 18K feet use visual flight rules (VFR) usually reserved for smaller aircraft in clear skies and instrument flight rules (IFR) usually reserved for any aircraft in bad weather and larger or military aircraft above 18K feet. Each country has different IFR/VFR rules. Thanks to this technology in keeping our skies safe. Bob Larson is a technologist and Marketing Director for 50 Plus.