JacksonvilleARTCC
Standard Operating Procedures

Opening, Relieving and Closing a Position

1. Purpose: 

This procedure establishes the actions that must be performed prior to and during the opening of a new position, relieving a controller at an open position, and closing a position. 

2. Roles and Responsibilities: 

This SOP shall be maintained, revised, or cancelled by the ZJX ATM and DATM.

3. Distribution:

ZJX Roster. 

4. Requirements:
1. Individuals logging in must comply with the Position Restrictions policy, and all position restrictions shown on the ZJX roster.
2. Individuals logging are to only control aircraft within the lateral and vertical limits of their airspace.
3. Individuals shall comply with Jacksonville ARTCC and VATUSA policies, SOPs and LOAs at all times.


5. Procedures: 


1. Opening a New (Currently Unstaffed) Position.


1. Position pre-briefings.

Prior to logging in to the position being opened, the controller is required log in as an observer, or use tools such as ServInfo, to pre-brief himself on basic information about the state the position. This self-performed pre-briefing shall include the following:

Self-Performed Position Pre-Briefing Checklist

• Traffic status 
• Assess the general complexity and flow of existing traffic within the lateral and vertical boundaries of the position.
• Weather Conditions 
• Weather conditions at the primary Class B and C aiport(s) associated with the position.
• The visual conditions and VFR status of each primary airport. 
• Adjacent controllers online
• Positions staffed "above", "below", and adjacent to the position being relieved, including positions in neighboring ARTCCs if appropriate.
• Ensure that the desired position is not already staffed. 

If tools such as ServInfo are used to perform this pre-briefing, the contoller must ensure that he is using the most up-to-date information possible. Note that data provided to ServInfo and other such tools can lag behind the real state of the network by five minutes or more!

2. Call signs.

The call sign to be used for newly opened positions shall be in the simple-form (e.g., "JAX_TWR"). If opening a split sector for a facility, use the call sign listed for that sector (e.g. "JAX_01_CTR" for the west center sector).  

3. Notifying adjacent controllers.

When logging on to assume a new position, individuals should immediately contact the controllers working the position directly above and below their current position, as well as any adjacent radar sectors. This allows coordination between positions, alerting all controllers to the new position opening, and increasing efficiency. Use of "ATC Messages" for this purpose should be avoided. Chat boxes or voice overrides are the preferred method of communication between controllers.

4. Actively operating air traffic.


1. Allow operations underway to continue.

Air traffic currently operating within a newly opened position's lateral and vertical limits shall be allowed to continue their operations without needing to reset their flight, taxi back to a ramp area, return to an airport for clearances, or otherwise interrupt the operation currently being executed when the controller logged on.

2. Contacting actively operating aircraft.

Controllers shall use the normal and customary means of politely informing pilots operating within their airspace that their position is now open.

The "normal and customary means" of contacting pilots using the ASRC controller client is either through the ".contactme" command (accessed through the [HOME] key), or (less commonly) through private chats. Controllers should be aware that a large percentage of pilots monitor their ATC list, and will contact newly opened ATC positions without any action needed on the part of the controller.

Aircraft within ramp areas at airfields shall not be contacted by the controller until such time that they taxi to the threshhold of an active taxiway, and it is clear they are unaware of the newly opened position.

Note that pilots cannot see "ATC Messages" sent using the "/" command.

3. Squawk code assignment.

Actively operating aircraft with duplicate becacon codes, or who have not been assigned beacon codes, shall be assigned beacon codes using the normal and customary means, from the pool of beacon codes assigned to the newly opened position.

Actively operating and airborne aircraft with previously assigned beacon codes that are not duplicates may be assigned new beacon codes during the radar identification process at the option of the controller.

Actively operating and airborne aircraft with previously assigned beacon codes that are not duplicates may optionally maintain that code. The code shall be confirmed through the normal radar identification procedures.

2. Relieving a Currently Staffed Position.


1. Position relief pre-briefings.

Prior to logging in to the position being relieved, the relieving controller is required log in as an observer to pre-brief himself basic information about the state the position. This self-performed pre-briefing shall include the following:

Self-Performed Position Relief Pre-Briefing Checklist

• Equipment Status
• Voice server and room in use.
• Frequency or frequencies in use.
• Weather Conditions
• Weather conditions at the primary Class B and C aiport(s) associated with the position.
• The visual conditions and VFR status of each primary airport.
• Adjacent controllers online
• Positions staffed "above", "below", and adjacent to the position being relieved, including positions in neighboring ARTCCs if appropriate.


2. Call signs.

Since an existing position is being relieved, the call sign in use for the position cannot be reused by the relieving controller. If the call sign in use is in the simple-form (e.g., "JAX_TWR"), then the new controller may add either the CLID of the position or a "01" to the middle of the call sign (e.g., "JAX_3T_TWR" or "JAX_01_TWR"). If the current call sign is not in the simple-form, then the relieving controller should use this as his call sign.

3. Voice server/channel in use.

Unless impossible for technical reasons, the relieving controller should join the same voice server and channel in use by the current controller.

4. Position relief briefings.

When being relieved, the currently active controller is required to provide the relieving controller with a Position Relief Briefing. The relieving controller will indicate to the currently active controller that he has completed his pre-brief, has logged in with the appropriate call sign, and is ready to receive the position relief briefing. See below for the information he must provide.

If the relieving controller was unable to use the same voice channel and server, he will inform the current controller at this time.

5. Assuming control.

The relieving controller will assume control of the position after the  Position Relief Briefing has been completed, all aircraft are handed off to and accepted by him, and the departing controller informs him that he is in control by stating "your control". The relieving controller shall not issue commands or communicate with aircraft until this time.

6. Forced position relief.

As stated in the ARTCC Policies, no controller shall demand that another controller give up the position he is currently staffing, except for scheduled and sanctioned events where the event's Controller In Charge may optionally direct a controller to be relieved by a controller who had previously signed up to staff that position for the event.

Instructors may politely ask controllers, from time to time, to give up a particular position in order to facilitate training of new controllers at a particular facility. The controller currently staffing the position in question has the right to deny such a request without providing any explaination, reason, or further information. Such denials shall not prejudice or impact any future training he might receive. In such cases, the Instructor shall find an alternate facility in which to train his student. At no time shall Instructors abuse this privlidge; ask once and only once. Mentors are not afforded this privlidge, and may not ask controllers to vacate any position.

3. Closing a Position With Relief.


1. Wait for relief.

The current controller departing a position with relief coming shall remain logged in and in positive communications and control of all aircraft within the lateral and vertical limits of his airspace. The controller shall not abruptly log off without warning.

The current controller will continue to issue commands and communicate with pilots until the position relief briefing is complete, all aircraft are handed off to the relieving controller, and the current controller grants the relieving controller control of the aircraft by stating "your control".

2. Position relief briefing

When being relieved, the currently active controller is required to provide the relieving controller with a position relief briefing. The relieving controller will indicate that he is ready for the briefing, and may inform the controller that a new voice server and/or channel is in use. The briefing must contain the information in the following checklist:

Position Relief Briefing Checklist

• Special Activities
• Active MOAs released to military control.
• Warning areas in use.
• Active temporary flight restrictions.
• Temporary agreements coordinated with adjacent facilities.
• Any deviations from SOPs or LOAs coordinated with and approved by affected controllers.
• Runway and flow configurations
• Landing and departing runway configurations at the primary Class B and C airfield(s) for the position.
• Runway closures, if any.
• Special spacing requirements or flow control requirements in effect, if any.
• Current traffic situation.
• Point outs granted to other controllers.
• Point outs received from other controllers.
• Aircraft in holds, with "expect further clearance" times.
• Briefing on all targets within the position's lateral and vertical boundaries.
• A specific brief on each radar target operating within the lateral and vertical limits of the airspace must be given. This includes aircraft that are tagged and under positive control, all VFR targets, and all targets not in communication with air traffic control.
• If there is no active traffic within the positions boundaries, then this must be explicitly stated to the relieving controller.
• Any other pertinent information regarding operations within the airspace. 


3. Transfer of Control.


1. Prior to tranfer of control, the Position Relief Briefing must be completed.
2. Prior to tranfer of control, all aircraft targets owned by the current controller shall be handed off to the relieving controller. This can be performed during the Position Relief Briefing. If there is a new voice server/channel in use, the current controller will inform each aircraft upon handoff.
3. Transfer of control is executed by the current controller stating "your control" to the relieving controller. This is the point at which the current controller may log off.


4. Closing a Position Without Relief.


1. Offer the position.

If there are properly rated and certified observers or controllers at positions below the position being closed, offer the position to these controllers. If they accept, follow the "Closing a Position With Relief" procedure.

2. Give pilots and adjacent controllers ample notice.

If a specific departure time has been planned, give aircraft operating within the boundaries of the position and adjacent controllers ample warning that the position will be closed soon. A notice of 10 minutes or more prior to closure is usually sufficient. 

Noticies to affected adjacent controllers should be performed using chat boxes or voice override.  The use of "ATC Messages" should be avoided. You should also use the ASRC ".break" command to signal your intentions.  Note that pilots cannot see that you have issued a ".break" command.  This notifies controllers on whose CL list you appear. 

Notice to pilots can be given over the voice frequency.  In addition, if there are text-only pilots on your channel, you may send a general communication over the text frequency by first hitting [ESC] once or twice to deselect any selected aircraft, and then typing and sending your notice.

3. Termination of radar services.


1. For positions closing where the position "above" is open.

Hand off all aircraft under positive control or in communication to the controller staffing the position above.

2. For Center, or positions closing where the position "above" is not open.

When the time to close the position arrives, terminate radar service with each aircraft under positive control within the boundaries of the position, individually.

If possible, arrange for early handoffs to adjacent controllers prior to closure, and hand these aircraft off at this time.

4. Notice of closure.

Notify adjacent controllers that the position is now closed through chat boxes or overrides. Avoid the use of "ATC messages".

 

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