DADE Air Traffic Control Coordination 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is an Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) and who issues it?
- A pilot-requested delay entered in the FMS by the crew
- A wheels-up time assigned by the ATCSCC to manage traffic flow into constrained airports (Correct answer)
- A gate hold time issued by the airline operations center to save fuel
- A slot time issued by the destination airport's tower controller
Correct answer: A wheels-up time assigned by the ATCSCC to manage traffic flow into constrained airports
The ATCSCC (Air Traffic Control System Command Center) assigns EDCTs as part of Ground Delay Programs to meter departure flow into congested airports.
Question 2: During a Ground Delay Program (GDP), what is the dispatcher's primary responsibility regarding the EDCT?
- Cancel the flight if the EDCT exceeds 60 minutes
- Ensure the aircraft departs within the EDCT compliance window, typically ±5 minutes (Correct answer)
- File a new flight plan to obtain a better slot time
- Notify ATC that the aircraft will depart early to avoid the delay
Correct answer: Ensure the aircraft departs within the EDCT compliance window, typically ±5 minutes
Dispatchers must ensure departure falls within the ±5-minute EDCT compliance window to avoid losing the slot assignment.
Question 3: A Miles-in-Trail (MIT) restriction of '20 MIT' issued by an ARTCC means:
- Aircraft must maintain 20 miles lateral separation from all traffic
- Successive aircraft must be separated by at least 20 miles before entering a specific fix or airspace (Correct answer)
- Aircraft must fly 20 miles around a TFR boundary
- Flights must file at least 20 miles of alternate routing
Correct answer: Successive aircraft must be separated by at least 20 miles before entering a specific fix or airspace
A miles-in-trail restriction requires successive aircraft transiting a fix or sector to be at least the specified number of miles apart.
Question 4: What ATC facility is responsible for issuing nationwide traffic management initiatives such as Ground Delay Programs and Ground Stops?
- The destination airport's TRACON
- The origin airport's ATCT (Tower)
- The ATCSCC (Air Traffic Control System Command Center) (Correct answer)
- The airline's System Operations Control
Correct answer: The ATCSCC (Air Traffic Control System Command Center)
The ATCSCC, located in Warrenton, Virginia, coordinates national-level Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) affecting the entire NAS.
Question 5: When ATC issues a nationwide Ground Stop (GS) for a destination airport, the aircraft dispatcher should:
- Continue the dispatch normally because the captain can request an exemption
- Hold departures at the gate and coordinate with ATC on expected duration before release (Correct answer)
- File an alternate destination to avoid the ground stop
- Immediately declare minimum fuel for all affected flights
Correct answer: Hold departures at the gate and coordinate with ATC on expected duration before release
During a Ground Stop, dispatchers hold aircraft at the gate to prevent airborne aircraft from stacking up around the affected airport.
Question 6: An Airspace Flow Program (AFP) differs from a Ground Delay Program (GDP) primarily because:
- AFPs apply to a specific fix or sector rather than a destination airport (Correct answer)
- AFPs are only used during VFR conditions while GDPs apply in IFR
- AFPs are managed by the airline, while GDPs are managed by the FAA
- AFPs only affect international flights
Correct answer: AFPs apply to a specific fix or sector rather than a destination airport
An AFP meters aircraft through a constrained en route fix or sector, whereas a GDP meters aircraft into a specific destination airport.
Question 7: What is the purpose of Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) in the National Airspace System?
- To allow pilots to override ATC clearances in congested airspace
- To share real-time flight information between airlines, airports, and the FAA to improve traffic management decisions (Correct answer)
- To automate all ATC clearances without human intervention
- To assign departure slots based solely on airline seniority
Correct answer: To share real-time flight information between airlines, airports, and the FAA to improve traffic management decisions
CDM enables airlines and FAA facilities to share flight data so that traffic management initiatives are more equitable and efficient.
DADE Air Traffic Control Coordination 2
What is an Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) and who issues it?