Can controllers pass any non-std info on airplane hand-off?

[BigBadLou]

Quick question for our members on the "other side of the scope screen".

When a controller hands off an airplane to another controller (center, approach, tower etc), do they have a way of communicating other information besides the required (I assume tail # etc)? As in: do they talk on a phone line or frequency in English or is it all impersonal and digital with a bleepty-bloop pop-up or something on a computer screen?

Where my question is really going: can a controller, let's say, warn another controller of a troubling pilot?

 

[cshodges]

I know they can pass off some information. On one flight I did awhile back, we discovered my transponder was reporting 400ft high. They asked me to turn off altitude reporting and relayed ahead that it was off. Other than controllers updating me on altimeter settings and asking me for my altitude periodically along the way, it was an uneventful flight. (Blind encoder has since been recalibrated.)

 

[roncachamp]

Where my question is really going: can a controller, let's say, warn another controller of a troubling pilot?

Affirmative.

 

[gumbi17]

They can and they do!

 

[Velocity173]

Sure. It's just a matter of keying up the landline.

"Cessna 345 is looking for direct XYZ. Your control."

Or I guess a troubled pilot. I've actually gotten one like this. "Arrow 345 is pretty much lost. I told her you'd help her get to XYZ."

Or another I've had. "Roman 16 busted her altitude. I told her to go back to 10."

 

[BigBadLou]

Thank you, gentlemen, appreciate the responses. I had a feeling that it could be possible, however I never asked to verify.
At my next visit to our local Delta tower (cool guys, except for the new one, he's a grump ), I will try to remember to ask to see a handoff. (or whatever it is called, not sure I got the right term)

Keep up the good work and please remain patient with us.

 

[Velocity173]

Thank you, gentlemen, appreciate the responses. I had a feeling that it could be possible, however I never asked to verify.
At my next visit to our local Delta tower (cool guys, except for the new one, he's a grump ), I will try to remember to ask to see a handoff. (or whatever it is called, not sure I got the right term)

Keep up the good work and please remain patient with us.

If your D doesn't have an approach there, odds are you won't see a hand off. They use landlines for coordination and have a mix of certified and uncertified tower displays for situational awareness. Don't know of any that perform the handoff function.

A lot of times on POA, members use the term handoff when talking of towers. It's generally not a handoff, meaning, a transfer of radar ID from one controller to another. It's only a coordination between the two facilities.

Now, C and B towers have certified displays and can actually do handoffs and in some cases, provide FF (approach rated or gone to BRITE course) from the tower, or local control position. Your Class Ds don't provide all of the services of FF so technically it's not FF.

 

[Zeldman]

Only your SS# and CC#......

 

[luvflyin]

Quick question for our members on the "other side of the scope screen".

When a controller hands off an airplane to another controller (center, approach, tower etc), do they have a way of communicating other information besides the required (I assume tail # etc)? As in: do they talk on a phone line or frequency in English or is it all impersonal and digital with a bleepty-bloop pop-up or something on a computer screen?

Where my question is really going: can a controller, let's say, warn another controller of a troubling pilot?

Yup. "watch out for this guy" etc. I got a "handle this guy with kid gloves" once. ATC had done him wrong and he wasn't a happy camper.

 

[Timbeck2]

Quick question for our members on the "other side of the scope screen".

When a controller hands off an airplane to another controller (center, approach, tower etc), do they have a way of communicating other information besides the required (I assume tail # etc)? As in: do they talk on a phone line or frequency in English or is it all impersonal and digital with a bleepty-bloop pop-up or something on a computer screen?

Where my question is really going: can a controller, let's say, warn another controller of a troubling pilot?

All controllers have to learn Swahili in order to talk to each other so pilots don't overhear. I'm kidding, it's Yiddish.

All the information is already on the screen such as tail number, type aircraft, speed altitude and where it's going. Controllers will hand off in a number of ways such as automated, which is to say they will "flash" the target to the next controller and nothing will be said. They can also call via a "shout line" which is a button you push and go (this is gonna sound wrong) directly into their ear, OR sometimes they are sitting next to each other at different scopes and they will point to the target and verbally hand you off.