Tower
Hannover Tower is responsible for all arriving and departing traffic. The top level of the airspace D control zone is 2500ft MSL. Above this altitude, airspace D (not CTR) and C covers this area around Hannover within responsibility of Bremen Radar (Hannover).
Controlzone of Hannover Airport and Wunstorf - © openflightmaps.org
Wunstorf: In the west side of the control zone is the German military airbase of ETNW Wunstorf. Traffic to and from Wunstorf can cause critical situations in Hannover. The responsible radar controller will give information about traffic. It may be necessary to:
- clear VFR aircraft from the north to the south area
- hold back departures, in coordination with radar
Additionally, there is the option when ETNW_TWR is unstaffed the whole aerodrome or some procedures (e.g. VFR from Hannover for one touch and go in ETNW) can be delegated from radar to Hannover Tower.
Runways
Hannover has a dependent parallel runway system with three runways.
Preferred Runway: In Hannover, runway direction 27 is preferred and used up to a tailwind component of 5 KT.
When runway 27 is in use, ILS-Z shall be announced in the ATIS.
Conditions for Runway 09C/27C: The small runway 09C/27C can not be used all the time and for all aircraft. There are following restrictions:
- MTOM below 5700 kg, including motor gliders and ultralight aircraft
- only for VFR traffic
- daylight operation only, SR-30 till SS+30
Specialties
The airport layout with its parallel dependent runway offers some opportunities to increase the efficiency.
Standard Separation: The standard separation is 4,5nm diagonally on both runways and 6nm on a single runway. Approach will coordinate or Tower will release a reduction.
Special Separation: With the distance between runway 09R/27L and 09L/27R, radar is allowed to separate arriving traffic with minimum 1,5 nm diagonally. The radar controller is responsible for creating positive separation.
Clearances can be issued even with active clearances for takeoff or landing on the other parallel runway, as long as there will be positive separation all the time including possible go-arounds. Traffic can be considered landed when ground speed reduces noticeably. Special conditions for VFR traffic see blow.
Additionally, under few conditions it is allowed to reduce the lateral separation on one runway to 2,5 nm.
- preceding aircraft is same or lower wake turbulence category and not heavy
- runway is dry
- tower can see all exits visually or with ground radar
Note: all reductions of the separation as stated above are coordinated with Tower and are not the standard procedure.
Delegation to Ground
Area of Responsibility at Hannover Airport
The area north of runway 09C/27C (including taxiways M and G) can be delegated to Hannover Ground. Tower shall decide which of these crossing options shall be applied.
- General release for crossings until further notice, Tower shall inform Ground when traffic is approaching runway 09C/27C
- Each crossing is coordinated
When the area is in responsibility of Tower (default), the Tower controller is responsible to assign the intersections of the north runway. Ground Controllers will only clear to hold short of 09/27C.
Departures
There are standard intersections which should be used for traffic departing from Hannover. In case of pilot request, insert the non standard intersection into the remarks field.
| Runway | WTC | Intersection |
|---|---|---|
| 27L | M (+ H) | A |
| L | B | |
| 27R | H | M |
| L + M | N | |
| 09R | M (+H) | E |
| L | D | |
| 09L | H | H + G |
| M | J + K + Kto | |
| L | K + Kto |
Preferred intersections are bold
General Departure-Release: Departures do not have to be released by EDWW (Bremen Radar) unless:
- EDWW explicitly restricts departures by time, SID or until further notice
- Departures out of the non operational runway config
- The first departure after a runway change
- The first departure after an unplanned missed approach
Auto-Handoff: Hannover has an auto-handoff to the departure frequency immediately after take-off, as stated in the charts. A short "bye bye" at the end of the take-off clearance can help vPilots to get the hint.
Spacing: Departures shall be separated with a minimum of 3 nm or wake turbulence separated, whichever is greater. When two aircrafts regardless of the runway have the same SID waypoint (e.g. POVEL) the separation shall be increased to 5 nm or wake turbulence separation whichever is greater.
Arrivals
Runway 09R/27L: Arrivals on runway 09R/27L shall be instructed to contact Ground when they are vacating.
Runway 09L/27R: Arrivals on runway 09L/27R shall get an initial taxi instruction and a clearance to cross runway 09C/27C. The handoff to Ground should be made as early as possible.
One of your primary objectives with arrivals is to keep the runways useable. Unfortunately some vPilots will hold before the holding line blocking the runway, unless you keep them rolling. Issue taxi instructions as soon as possible (09L/27R) or advice to hold behind the holding line while giving a handoff to Ground (09R/27L).
Missed Approaches
In case of an unplanned missed approach, the Tower controller shall inform Bremen Radar (Hannover) immediately. Traffic will be handed over to Hannover Approach after coordination.
The next departure is always subject to release, if not coordinated otherwise (Departure Release).
Efficiency
Reduced Runway Separation (RRS): Reduced Runway Separation can be applied for runway 09L/27R for all categories and on 09R/27L for aircraft of category 1 and 2.
Independent lineups: With the standard intersection described above, independent lineups are only authorized for runway 09L between G and J/K/Kto, H and K/Kto.
VFR
Hannover offers several options for traffic under VFR. The visual reporting points of V and S belong to Wunstorf and shall not be used. There are two standard holding patterns north and south of the field.
| VRP | N1 | N2 | E1 | E2 | L | W1 | W2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAV | Highway junction A7 and A352 | Highway exit A352 near Kaltenweide | Crossing railway with A2 | Small lakes near A2 | Highway exit A7 to B65 | Highway exit A2 to B65 | Highway A2 crossing with Mittellandkanal |
Runway usage: VFR traffic on the left or right runway is independent to IFR traffic on the other runway but shall get traffic information. Departures from the center runway (VFR only) need to be wake turbulence separated from runway 09L/27R.
Helicopters
Helipads: Hannover has three helipads at the airport which can be used for arriving and departing helicopters. Tower shall coordinate with Ground to achieve spacing between arriving or departing helicopters and taxing traffic, since the helipads are on the taxiways.
| Helipad | Location | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Helipad 1 | crossing taxiways A and C | no traffic on C no traffic on A between stands 45 and 41 |
| Helipad 2 | on taxiway L, south of runway 09C | no arrivals/departures from 09C/27C no traffic on F and L between G and M |
| Helipad 3 | on taxiway M between T2 and O | no arrivals/departures from 09C/27C no traffic on M between T2 and O |
Civil Helicopters: Parking positions 69A/69B between GA1 and taxiway P. Helicopters hover taxi directly via M to these positions.
Police and rescue helicopters: At Hannover airport is the rescue helicopter CHX86 (Christoph Niedersachsen) located which is parked on stand 69C in the area west of the general aviation apron 1. Arrival and departure are usually performed from helipad 3 with a direct hover from and to the parking pad. Furthermore, Lower Saxony's state police has its helicopter units at Hannover airport west of taxiway F stationed and will hover taxi directly from and to helipad 2.
Note: Stands 69A-E are not mentioned in any charts or ground layout but can be seen for example on satellite maps. Reference:
Nearby Helipads: In the vicinity of the aerodrome are some helipads used for rescue helicopters. They are shown in the default Tower view with an abbreviation:
- KKH - Kinderkrankenhaus auf der Bult
- MHH - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Homebase of CHX4)
- NKH - Nordstadt Klinikum Hannover
Low Visibility Operations (LVO)
When the weather condition requires low visibility operations the use shall be announced in the ATIS.
use &lvp in the ATIS maker URL or "LOW VIS OPS" flag in the NOTAM menu of vATIS
During low visibility operations, the departure and arrival spacing is increased. Delays may be issued earlier than in normal conditions. Additionally, under low visibility operations runway 09R/27L shall be used for departures except Heavy aircrafts and 09L/27R for arrivals.