Terminal Airspace - TMA

[ZK-Brock]

Hey guys. On my VFR charts (dads ones from 1998 ) there appears to be terminal airspace - TMA/D (Delta airspace) or TMA/C (Charlie airspace), around many controlled airports. It usually has it's lower vertical limit above the surface, getting higher in steps of DME - e.g. 1500-5500 to 20DME, then 3500-5500 to 40DME etc. Can someone give me an explanation of TMA? Like, who controls it etc.


Thanks, Brock

[towerguy]

think of the usual story of the upside down wedding cake.
the small circle from ground up to about 1500 or 2000ft is CTR/c or CTR/d this is the control zone you are familiar with. above this at larger airfields there will be another layer extending further out and may have 1 2 or even more layers and may be circular or even odd shaped. this is the TMA or terminal approach area.It is controlled by the radar or approach controller ( this may be radar or non radar procedural) and is around busier airfields/airports to protect aircraft on the IFR arrival/approach sector. these areas usual extend up to about 9500ft in NZ. Above this are UTA's (upper terminal airspace) and the enroute areas you will see on the charts. These are usually annotated either on the chart or in the margins about the controlling authority and the frequency to be used.

can do more on this if required but hope that clarifies it for you.
cheers.

ps If I have miss named a couple of the above let me know and I will correct them - been a hard day in the garden and have had a couple of relaxers!

[ZK-Brock]

Thanks Towerguy. If I was going flying in TMA, I would require a clearance, right?

Also, if the airport that has TMA surrounding it has no approach/departure frequency, is it just controlled by the appropriate CTA controller?

[kiwiflyboy]

TMA are all known as CTA now am i correct?

[G-HEVN]

It's controlled airspace, so you need a clearance.

The charts I have (2004 for NZ) all show the frequency to talk to for that particular bit of airspace, but if you talk to the wrong guy, he'll soon redirect you.

At least your TMAs are only C/D, ours are class A, down to 2500ft!

[G-HEVN]

TMA are all known as CTA now am i correct?

We get Both. But for us TMAs are all class A, and CTAs are class D. Some airports (Birmingham) only have CTA, others (Heathrow) only TMA. Where there is both (Manchester), the CTA is the first tier of the wedding cake above the CTR, and the TMA is above that.

[towerguy]

CTA is Controlled airspace and TMA, CTR etc are all types of CTA so the AA TMA is CTA/C and the NZRO TMA is CTA/D etc

the /C or /D etc just signifies the the type of control in that airspace and what standards of separation are used. ie. IFR from IFR but not VFR etc

Yes a clearance is definitely required - and preferably a map! the number of Dumbass vfr pilots that don't realise that there is an Airport near AA is frightening -they just wander across from the city going back to AR - gee look at the big jet , I wonder why he is climbing up so fast? this involves me in PAPERWORK!!! I didn't sign up to work for a living! B)

[ZK-Brock]

Ok thanks guys. I understand that TMA is a type of Control Area. But who would I contact if I entered, say Nelson TMA, considering there's no Nelson Approach/Departure?

[kiwiflyboy]

If you were wanting to enter the CTR it would be tower, and CTA would be control.... on the new charts it has the operating control freq printed on them.....

[kiwiflyboy]

Yes a clearance is definitely required - and preferably a map! the number of Dumbass vfr pilots that don't realise that there is an Airport near AA is frightening -they just wander across from the city going back to AR - gee look at the big jet , I wonder why he is climbing up so fast? this involves me in PAPERWORK!!!     I didn't sign up to work for a living! B)

Atleast I am not one of them, but i do know of a student at my flying school who has lined up for AA thinking it was AR at night....... She came in from whitford thinking it was clevedon...... the scary thing is, she has now got a CPL and is starting her multi I/R..... And Towerguy...... Mclauchlans Mountain may be a VRP, but it is bloody hard to see at 1500' (so if you want to let the powers the be know

*sorry for the double post*

[ZK-Brock]

Hmm, I think I need to get me some new charts

[kiwiflyboy]

just get them online

Aip Shop

$16 a pop..... but they are due for replacment in June I think....

[ZK-Brock]

Yeah, I might wait until next year though...once I do my first solo I'll invest in em.

[kiwiflyboy]

Do you have an AIP Volume 4?

[ZK-Brock]

I think so. My Dad used to fly so I use all his old charts for FS use. I do have the Visual flight guide, this contains the AIP aerodrome diagrams. Not sure if this counts as a complete AIP vol.4 though. It's from 1998.

[kiwiflyboy]

For proper flying you may need an upto date volume 4 and chart before your first solo, i know by law it has too be in the plane... depends on what ur school does..... they may lent them to you

[ZK-Brock]

Yeah there's a volume of Version 4 in the aeroplane, no need to worry. I'll have to get my own VPCs and VNCs before I go solo, which is just over a year away.

[towerguy]

McLauchlins was the first point I was ever shown and was told to memorise and Never forget it - that was when Airline Flying club used to be at NZAA mon-fri. I don't see how it can be so hard for people to find , its really distinctive and has a bloody great petrochemical plant right next to it! and at night it is lit!

[kiwiflyboy]

McLauchlins was the first point I was ever shown and was told to memorise and Never forget it - that was when Airline Flying club used to be at NZAA mon-fri. I don't see how it can be so hard for people to find , its really distinctive and has a bloody great petrochemical plant right next to it! and at night it is lit!

Every time I had been thru AA CTR i have always been told to track to Weymouth or Karaka.... then one day, track to mclauchlans mountain.... ohhh crap.... mountain insinuates big..... like Mt Ruapehu, Mt Egmont, not a hill like Mclauchlans.... I realised what mclauchlans mountain was upon reaching the general area, but when I was told to track there from Mangere Bridge, wasnt the easiest..... all is well now though, apart from when I try get cleared thru AA's zone around 1pm-3pm.... I have been told it is a tricky time because of the Asian Carriers come in around then......

[towerguy]

yeah McLaughlins is getting used less and less because it is just inside the approach protection area for 23L and over the years the management/lawyer types have got twitchy about us having light acft so close to final - it leaves little room for screw ups.

As for getting through the zone - we are starting to discourage it more and more as the traffic levels keep going up. At peak times NZAA is getting the same hourly movements as some of the big overseas airports (ie Gatwick etc) it is just a case of theirs just keeps on going while ours is only during the peaks - but what we have found is that once you reach a certain level then it spreads out sideways timewise ie the peaks last longer.So having a light aircraft holding inside the zone resticting the levels at which IFR flights can be turned off the departure or given further decent on approach is just not going to happen. Also different controllers have different comfort levels as to what they will allow.