AIM
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Services Available to Pilots
Chapter 4. Air Traffic Control
Section 1. Services Available to Pilots
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1. Air Route Traffic Control Centers
Centers are established primarily to provide air traffic
service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within
controlled airspace, and principally during the
en route phase of flight.
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2. Control Towers
Towers have been established to provide for a safe,
orderly and expeditious flow of traffic on and in the
vicinity of an airport. When the responsibility has
been so delegated, towers also provide for the
separation of IFR aircraft in the terminal areas.
REFERENCE
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AIM, Approach Control, Paragraph 5
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3. Flight Service Stations
Flight Service Stations (FSSs) are air traffic
facilities which provide pilot briefings, flight plan
processing, en route radio communications, search
and rescue services, and assistance to lost aircraft
and aircraft in emergency situations. FSSs also
relay ATC clearances, process Notices to Airmen,
broadcast aviation weather and aeronautical
information, and notify Customs and Border
Protection of transborder flights. In addition, at
selected locations FSSs provide En Route Flight
Advisory Service (Flight Watch) and Airport
Advisory Service (AAS). In Alaska, designated FSSs
also provide TWEB recordings and take weather
observations.
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4. Recording and Monitoring
a.
Calls to air traffic control (ATC) facilities
(ARTCCs, Towers, FSSs, Central Flow, and
Operations Centers) over radio and ATC operational
telephone lines (lines used for operational purposes
such as controller instructions, briefings, opening and
closing flight plans, issuance of IFR clearances and
amendments, counter hijacking activities, etc.) may
be monitored and recorded for operational uses such
as accident investigations, accident prevention,
search and rescue purposes, specialist training and
evaluation, and technical evaluation and repair of
control and communications systems.
b.
Where the public access telephone is recorded,
a beeper tone is not required. In place of the “beep”
tone the FCC has substituted a mandatory require-
ment that persons to be recorded be given notice they
are to be recorded and give consent. Notice is given
by this entry, consent to record is assumed by the
individual placing a call to the operational facility.
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5. Communications Release of IFR
Aircraft Landing at an Airport Without an
Operating Control Tower
Aircraft operating on an IFR flight plan, landing at an
airport without an operating control tower will be
advised to change to the airport advisory frequency
when direct communications with ATC are no longer
required. Towers and centers do not have nontower
airport traffic and runway in use information. The
instrument approach may not be aligned with the
runway in use; therefore, if the information has not
already been obtained, pilots should make an
expeditious change to the airport advisory frequency
when authorized.
REFERENCE
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AIM, Advance Information on Instrument Approach, Paragraph 5
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6. Pilot Visits to Air Traffic Facilities
Pilots are encouraged to visit air traffic facilities
(Towers, Centers and FSSs) and familiarize them-
selves with the ATC system. On rare occasions,
facilities may not be able to approve a visit because
of ATC workload or other reasons. It is, therefore,
requested that pilots contact the facility prior to the
visit and advise of the number of persons in the group,
the time and date of the proposed visit and the primary
interest of the group. With this information available,
the facility can prepare an itinerary and have someone
available to guide the group through the facility.