Skip to main content

Handover Tower

The proper handover is an important part of the controller's everyday life and is becoming more and more relevant for us at VATSIM due to hour-long events such as "Munich 11 to 11", "Berlin Overload" or "Frankfurt RFO".

The following guide is intended to illustrate what a proper handover in the tower area can look like.

General

  • If a handover is imminent, e.g. the new controller appears in Teamspeak, it is advisable to keep the traffic as simple as possible. In concrete terms, this means:
    • Work "standard traffic"
    • No close situations
    • Finish coordinating with neighboring stations to ensure a clear traffic picture at the time of handover
    • Send aircraft that are no longer required to the next controller
  • To ensure that the handover is completed quickly and exhaustively, you should think about what needs to be said shortly before the handover begins. This is particularly important when there is a high volume of traffic, as in this case errors in the handover are often more critical than usual.
  • Before the handover begins, both controllers should ensure that they are ready for the handover/takeover.
  • The end of the handover should be clearly defined. This ensures that it is always clear who of the two controllers is responsible for the position. After the handover, the "old" controller should remain at the "new" controller's side for a few minutes. This ensures that nothing important is lost during the handover.

Handover Tower

The WEST principle can be used for the handover in the tower:

 
Explanation Examples
W Weather

The weather has a major influence on the execution of air traffic and must therefore be included in every handover.

 

Elements of every handover are:

- Meteorological condition of the CTR
- Runway direction

 

Further elements, if necessary, could be the following:

- Wind speed and direction (and tendency)
- Main cloud base
- Visibility
- Precipitation
- Significant weather
- Other noteworthy meteorological phenomena

- "CTR VMC"; "CTR IMC"

- "Runway direction 25"

 

- "Medium west wind"

- "Winds currently from the north, tending to the east"

-  "ceiling 3200ft"

-  "Visibility 3000m"

- "Thunderstorm west of the site"

- "Reported wind shear by A320, 5min ago, 2 NM final approach, lost IAS: 30kt, lost altitude: 200ft"
E Equipment

Equipment is relevant because faulty/failing equipment can lead to changes in operations.


For example, the maintenance of a radar system can lead to the application of modified separation minima.


On VATSIM, however, in most cases the equipment is 100% functional, so this is of little relevance here.

 

- "Connection problems of several controllers with Audio for Vatsim"
S Situation

The situation refers to your current working environment

 

The following should be included in the handover:


- Other online stations
- Closed taxiways
- Closed runways
- High traffic volume
- Affected arrangements that deviate from the norm
-Other

- "Ground, Approach and Feeder online"

- "Taxiway Whiskey closed "

- "Shuttle event between Frankfurt und London"

- "Minimum spacing between inbounds approved to the approach controller"

- "Online training on approach"

- "Departure frequency for all departures to the south 119.2"
T Traffic

Traffic is only discussed at the end.

 

Any traffic that currently is in your area of responsibility or is about to enter it is relevant here.

- "DISTM has a Y flight plan with the clearance limit CHA, not yet called in"

-  "DLH4FM has its IFR clearance, no startup"
- "EWG114 has its IFR clearance and startup"
- "BER224, position 116 making a long pushback, blue line, nose to the south"
- "PGT77RR is taxiing to the holding point runway 25 via N and A, on your frequency"
- "SWR2LX, at holding point 25, on the tower frequency"
- "CXI2247 cleared for take-off, just in the roll"
- "RYR2NT at 8NM, instructed speed from 160kt to 4NM, no landing clearance"
- "SDR18PY taxiing to position 43 via L2 and M"
- "DEMIL, VFR for landing via Echo, clearance to enter the CTR and the traffic circuit"

The WEST principle is to be understood as a guideline for a clean handover. If there is anything worth mentioning that does not fit into the scheme, it of course should still be mentioned.

However, information that doesn’t add value does not need to be mentioned, e.g. in blue skies and bright sunshine you don’t have to point out that "there is no thunderstorm".

Example:

Control zone VMC,

Runway direction 25,

Clear west wind, medium speed

We have online: Ground, Approach and Feeder

Taxiway Whiskey closed

No gaps requested to the feeder

Traffic, you have:

-SAS842, just departed from RWY 25

-DLA9H, at holding point runway 25, without takeoff clearance

-PBW11, helicopter, VFR, southern helipad, wants to leave CTR via Echo

-BAW917S, at 6NM, on freuqncy, no landing clearance

Any questions?

Back to top