Day 4:

Today was the first official day of academics. Yippee! We have 11 total days of academic training covering the following topics:

Human Factors in ATC
Terminal Controller
General Control
Position Relief Briefing
Tower Equipment
Academy Airport Layout
Academy Airspace Layout
Academy Airspace and Instrument Procedures
Stripmarking
Flight Data Input/Output
DBRITE
Tower Visibility (NWS)
Disseminating Weather
Introduction to the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
Wind Shear and LLWAS
Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS)
Wake Turbulence and Separation Rules
Flight Data, IFR Clearance Delivery, and Clearances
Ground Control Duties and Responsibilities
Taxi and Ground Movement Procedures
Airport Conditions, Uses, and Lighting
Runway Incursions
Local Control Position
VFR Arrival Procedures
VFR Departure Procedures
IFR Arrival and Departure Procedures
Visual Operations
Air Traffic Facility Training Overview, Evaluation, and Statistical Data
Tower Visibility Certification Exam (NWS)
Control Tower Operation (CTO) Certification Exam

All of that is covered in 11 class days. Today we covered position relief briefing, tower equipment, academy airport layout, and academy airspace and instrument procedures.

Position relief briefing is pretty self explanatory. After the lesson we did a couple of scenerios where we pretended to relieve each other from control positions and read from the relief checklist.

Tower equipment covered general tower equipment and also academy specific equipment that we'll be using during the duration of the course.

Academy airport layout discussed the class D airspace that we'll be controlling, it's dimensions, FBO's, emergency equipment standby areas, helipads, etc.

We also covered the academy airspace, discussed the dimensions, the compulsory reporting points, VOR radials and victor airways. We also went over SIDS, and approach plates that are specific to the academy airport.

Tomorrow looks like stripmarking and weather! Yippee!