Behind the Scope

Orlando TRACON

In the complex dance of aviation, where countless moving parts must align seamlessly, air traffic controllers are the behind-the-scenes choreographers. They guide pilots through crowded airways, stormy weather, and complex arrivals, ensuring every flight ends safely. For me, this world isn’t just fascinating—it’s personal. My husband, Kevin Lindheim, has been an air traffic controller for the past eight years, and watching his career from the sidelines has given me a deep appreciation for the job. His stories about the challenges of ATC have always intrigued me, but seeing them in action during a tour of Orlando Approach’s radar facility really put it all into perspective.

The experience was both eye-opening and humbling. Watching the controllers handle a nonstop stream of radio calls, juggle complicated radar displays, and make split-second decisions gave me an even greater respect for the skill and dedication their work demands. It also made me think about the dynamic between pilots and controllers—a partnership that’s crucial to aviation safety but often underappreciated.
As I watched my husband and his colleagues in action, I couldn’t help but wonder: What are the most common mistakes pilots make in their exchanges with ATC? More importantly, how can understanding these pitfalls lead to safer skies?

Inside the Facility
I have toured two air traffic facilities, both of which my husband has worked as a controller at: Atlanta Center and Orlando Approach. They varied in size and equipment but shared many similarities. When I arrived at Orlando Approach, I checked in at a secure gate with an armed guard surrounded by barbed wire fencing. My name was put on the list ahead of time, so they were aware of my arrival, and I was swiftly let inside the secure area.

My VIP guide (husband) brought me inside the facility and showed me around a relatively small building. There were some offices, training rooms, a kitchen/dining room, a few places to relax on break, and, of course, the radar room. The building is nothing to write home about, as it looks like it hasn’t been updated or improved for decades.

It was impossible to ignore the challenges the controllers face daily—many of which go beyond the radar screens. The facility struggles with unresolved maintenance issues, including bathroom water leaks, flooring torn up for months, and even mice problems in the radar room. Controllers work with outdated equipment, adding another layer of complexity to an already demanding job. Despite these obstacles, the team’s professionalism and safety commitment never wavers, which is a testament to their resilience. I could share a lot more detail on the working conditions I experienced firsthand, but for now, we will stay on track to the radar room – where the magic happens.

The Radar Room
The radar room is an impressive operation, and shadowing behind the controllers for a few hours helped me better understand exactly what they see and prioritize from their side of the screen, as opposed to me flying in the cockpit. Orlando Approach is divided into several “chunks” of airspace defined by both vertical and lateral limits. Each fully certified controller at the facility is qualified to work in every sector and rotate sectors throughout the day.

As you look around the room, you will see all the stations set up for each sector, each with several screens, keyboards, a rolling chair, and staffed with a controller on a headset talking to aircraft in real-time. It looks like a complicated call center as it is a small space with lots of people talking all at the same time. The converging voices were initially hard for me, as my untrained brain had difficulty focusing on just one station while I could clearly hear all the other stations mumbling clearances and vectors simultaneously. Admittedly, after about an hour or two, I was finally able to tune out the others while I “plugged in” with one of the controllers to listen in for a session.

Each controller likes to set up their station in a different way—much like pilots do in the cockpit. They have preferred zoom levels, various filters, labels they like to see or hide, etc. When rotating into a station, the current controller briefs them to get acquainted with what is happening in real-time, and then they set up their station according to how they prefer and get to work.

Common Mistakes and Tips
I had several goals for this tour, but one of them was to better understand the most common pilot errors that controllers see on a regular basis. Identifying deficiencies is the first step to improving upon them. In no particular order, here are a few of the takeaways that I gathered from my time at Orlando Approach:

1. Pilots entering the Class B airspace without a clearance. Central Florida has a high density of flight training, so it is common for student pilots to speak with Orlando Approach and assume their clearance into the airspace without hearing the magic words “cleared into the Class Bravo airspace.” A reminder to all that you must hear those words to enter the airspace VFR. Of course, if you are IFR and vectored inside, you are automatically cleared. They also see this airspace violation with aircraft not speaking to them, flying VFR, and squawking 1200, which may result from poor situational awareness and complacency.
   
   Another “gotcha” in Orlando is with the ILS Runway 7 into Orlando Executive Airport (KORL). Many students request to fly practice approaches with Orlando Approach, and this particular ILS has a final approach fix of DNMOR at 2,000 feet that sits perfectly inside a Bravo shelf that starts at 2,000 feet. Typically, the clearance in this scenario instructs aircraft to “remain VFR.” Unless expressly stated that they are cleared into the Bravo, flying this approach VFR will violate Class B airspace.
   
2. Busting altitudes on the SID. This one is a bit interesting as the controllers reported that they don’t usually have issues with aircraft on “descend VIA” clearances when on arrivals, but rather, they commonly see mistakes on the standard instrument departures with a “climb VIA” clearance. For example, when taking off northbound on the DDANY THREE Departure at Orlando International Airport (KMCO), pilots will quickly see that the top altitude noted on the plate is 7,000 feet. The controllers will see aircraft take off and head straight to 7,000 feet, which causes great danger on their scope. A closer briefing will educate the pilots that there is an intermediate altitude restriction of a maximum altitude of 5,000 feet at MIEGS prior to the final altitude of 7,000 feet.
   
   Why is this important? Well, nearly every departure is going to cross the arrivals at some point, and there will be routing, altitudes, or both that keep the inbound and outbound traffic apart from each other. This is exactly the case on the DDANY THREE. The maximum altitude at MIEGS of 5,000 feet keeps departing traffic safely below the inbound arrivals and allows for the climb up to 7,000 feet only after passing the intersecting traffic.
   
3. VFR jet traffic should expect to be treated as IFR. This is more of a tip than a mistake, but it was noted that high-performance aircraft inbound to large airports, such as MCO, should be expected to be sequenced similarly to that as if they were IFR. Of course, you wouldn’t be cleared for an instrument approach while VFR, but be prepared with the approach-in-use plates accessible as it would be common to be cleared to a fix on that approach and subsequentially cleared to join the final course inbound. The controllers must fit the VFR traffic in smoothly and efficiently, so be prepared with the proper plates to streamline the process.
   
4. Ask once for the preferred runway. The last takeaway is another tip/request from our fellow ATC folks. The controllers are very aware of who is an airline and who is general aviation and are also cognizant of where these aircraft park upon landing. At airports such as Orlando International, there are four parallel runways, and if you are cleared to land on the farthest runway from your parking spot, you may be looking at a half-hour taxi.
   
   The controllers don’t want this for you any more than you don’t. Their suggestion was to request your preferred runway just once with the Final Approach Controller. Sometimes, they cannot get you on your preferred runway, and if you spend some time in the TRACON as I did, it will become vastly obvious why not. In the cockpit, it is sometimes hard to see the big picture and understand why you are not receiving your request; let it be known that they are not attempting to make your day tough just for fun.

Thank You, ATC
Air traffic controllers are essential to aviation, often working in challenging environments to keep flights running smoothly and safely. By understanding their perspective and addressing the issues they face, we can foster a stronger partnership between pilots and controllers that ensures safer, more efficient skies for everyone. As always, if you are unsure about something – just ask! Hopefully, you will be comforted to know that there are very friendly and knowledgeable faces on the other end of the mic.

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