we have class A, B, C and G type of airspace. A,B and C are characterized as controlled airspace while class G is uncontrolled. It is better to picture it into a diagram. As taken from Malaysia AIP.
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| Malaysia FIR |
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| Airspace Classifications |
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| Layout of control airspace.
2.3 Provision of Air
Traffic Services.
To
understand the ATS provided, one has to understand the various types of
Airspaces designated generally
divided into two :
a)
Control
Airspace and Uncontrolled Airspace :
·
Control
Airspace - It is an Airspace of defined
dimensions in which a full Air
Traffic Control (ATC ) are exercise and al flights must
adhere strictly to the condition applied
therein under Instructions and Control
of the Air Traffic Controllers.
·
Uncontrolled
Airspace - It is the airspace of defined
Dimensions outside the Control Airspace whereby all flights are
not subject to Air Traffic Control. However these flights are provided
with Advisory Services which include Air Traffic
Information, Alerting and SAR services, Weather Information’s and others
pertinent for the safety of the flights. These flights includes General Flying , Helicopters , Military Tactical
Flights and others flying under the VFR (Visual Flight Rules ).VFR Flying generally refers to flying with
reference to the ground and in good weather conditions. These Airspaces are
found beneath the Airways and those between the Airways parameters. The Uncontrolled
Airspace are use, namely by General Aviation
aircraft and Military tactical
aircraft.
2.4 Types of Control Airspace
Generally there are 3 types:
i.
Airways
Airways
are airspaces of defined dimensions, sort of air corridors generally 10 to
30 nautical miles wide, with an upper
limit up to 46,000 feet (herein mentioned in ATC as Flight Level or FL 460 )
and a lower limit of about 8,000 feet.
However the lower levels varies .The Airways encompassed the Air Traffic
Services Routes that joint various points in the sky to provide protection to
all flights. For Example the Airways on the west Coast of peninsular Malaysia
coded A 464 begins in Bangkok, overflies Malaysia to Indonesia and onwards to
Australia. The Airway Corridors are marked with Various Navigation Aids such
as an NDB (Non –Directional Beacon)
and the more precise and accurate
VOR/DME ( VHF Omni Directional/ Distance
Measuring Equipment) (See Fig 2B
– an artistic view of the layout of the
Control Airspaces).
ii.
Control Zones or CTR
Control Zones
are airspaces established at manned Air
Traffic Control Airports such as
Malacca, Ipoh, Alor Star, Kuala
Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia and
Sibu, Bintulu, Tawau, Sandakan in Sabah and Sarawak. A Control Zone is an
Airspace of defined Dimensions in which a full Air Traffic Control are exercise
in which all flights must adhere to strictly to ATC. A Control Zone Airspace is
normally about 20 nautical miles radius from the Airport and has upper level of
around 3,000 to 9,000 feet from ground
level (See Fig 2C).
iii.
Terminal Control Areas
(TMA)
However, when
there are two or more Airports are clustered together with their Control Zones,
then the main airport is given the Authority to exercise Air traffic Control in
airspace named Terminal Control Area (TMA). For Example there are 3 airports in
the Kuala Lumpur Area, namely KLIA Sepang, Subang Airport, and TUDM Sg Besi
each with her own Control Zone, Therefore a TMA is establish to encompassed all
the three airports with a total of 4 runways. The TMA Airspace stretches about
60 nautical mile radius encompassing all
the airports above the Control Zones to
about 24,500 feet .The Controlling Authority in this case is vested with Kula
Lumpur Approach Radar Centre, call sign
“Lumpur Director” housed at the Air
Traffic Control Centre (ATCC) at Subang Airport. Other TMA’s are established at
Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Butterworth, Kota Bahru and Johor.
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