Approach vs Departure control

Jaybird180

Jaybird180

Final Approach
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Jaybird180
I fly in the DC SFRA and as such using the radio is required. Early in my training I asked my instructor why we always say "Potomac Approach"; when do we refer to them as "Potomac Departure"? He said that they are the same people and it doesn't matter. The answer was satisfactory enough at that time. The AF/D also lists them with the same frequencies, it it's a freq I've never been assigned upon getting my transponder and controller freq before takeoff.

Can someone help fill in my gaps?

I confess to not being current, so if something has changed, I wouldn't know.
 
There is no difference. When departing, call 'em departure, when arriving call 'em approach. It's like calling it gasoline or petrol.

At some Bravos they may have frequencies that handle ONLY approaches or ONLY departures, but for pretty much every other facility out there, APP and DEP are exact same thing.
 
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Using the term 'departure' acts as a cue that the plane is departing and 'approach' indicates arriving.

It's the same person on the other end and isn't a big thing, but think about it. That persons job is basically to move planes in one of two ways; either from the field down low to the enroute structure or from the enroute structure up high to the field down low.

So they have plane coming and descending as well as planes leaving and climbing. Two general classes of flight paths that person deals with. By calling them either 'departure' or 'approach' control on initial call up you are clearly identifying which class you belong to and make their job just a smidge easier.

Again, it's not a big thing. They have other cues to, for instance, you usually announce you're climbing when leaving or descending to some altitude when arriving. They can also easily look you up in the system.

Now you know...
 
What do you call them when just passing through? Or remaining in their sector (Probably not you)?
 
Jaybird180 said:
What do you call them when just passing through? Or remaining in their sector (Probably not you)?
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A lot of times I just go by facility name, and don't worry about tacking on a qualifier, and that even happens when terminating my flight at the Charlie. And on departure I often times just give them a tail number and altitude leaving when handed off by tower, and don't worry about the facility name. They know who they are, I know who they are, no real need for it other than to be completely anal.
 
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Jaybird180 said:
What do you call them when just passing through? Or remaining in their sector (Probably not you)?
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If being handing off, I call them whatever the previous controller called them.

Ex. "Contact Youngstown Approach on 133.95" "Youngstown Approach..."

If calling up after departing, they're Departure, but soon find themselves being called Approach. Departure has one extra syllable.
 
Jaybird180 said:
What do you call them when just passing through? Or remaining in their sector (Probably not you)?
Click to expand...

If I'm just transiting the area ill typically just use the name or name with approach. I'd never call them departure after being handed off from Center. Just sounds weird. Having said that, if I did I'm positive they'd still respond.
 
I call them approach. There are a couple of sectors that handle almost exclusively the immediate takeoffs from IAD but most have a mix of departures and arrivals. The facilities are called "APPROACH CONTROLS" even when they are handling departures.

Of course the SFRA guy is the "Transponder Observed Control" :)
 
Sometimes they are different frequencies, though they may or may not be the same people, and not only at Class B.

KSJC, for instance, has distinct approach and arrival frequencies, and that's Class C.

I'm generally handed off to Approach for transitions, unless I do them at low altitude (then, I get handed off to Tower).
 
If you ever run into a controller, ask him or her for a business card. Those who work in a TRACON will have "Podunk Approach Control" on their card, because TRACON stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control. Departure control is a position within the TRACON, and you may hear the same voice identifying itself as either approach or departure, depending on whether you are going or coming.

Bob Gardner
 
In the Potomac TRACON in the subject, the sectors depend on which way the airports are operating. If your transition flight crosses where the Dulles departures are going, you'll most likely end up talking to a controller whose calling himself "departure" to most of his traffic. You can call him approach.

Just don't call him Washington Center if you know what's good for you :)

Amusingly, physically, Washington Center is actually closer to all of the Potomac TRACON's airports than except Richmond than the actual TRACON is.
 
flyingron said:
Amusingly, physically, Washington Center is actually closer to all of the Potomac TRACON's airports than except Richmond than the actual TRACON is.
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That seems to be common.

NorCal TRACon is in Folsom. That's way on the east side of their area, and far away from where most of the traffic is (Bay Area). Oakland Center is in Fremont, spitting distance from the Bay.

SoCal is apparently in San Diego, but most of the traffic is in LA. LA Center is in Palmdale, just across the mountains and underneath a common transition navaid for several high traffic airports (PMD VORTAC).
 
MAKG1 said:
That seems to be common.

NorCal TRACon is in Folsom. That's way on the east side of their area, and far away from where most of the traffic is (Bay Area). Oakland Center is in Fremont, spitting distance from the Bay.

SoCal is apparently in San Diego, but most of the traffic is in LA. LA Center is in Palmdale, just across the mountains and underneath a common transition navaid for several high traffic airports (PMD VORTAC).
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Actually, it's in Rancho Cordova (greater Sacramento area.)
 
Jaybird180 said:
I fly in the DC SFRA and as such using the radio is required. Early in my training I asked my instructor why we always say "Potomac Approach"; when do we refer to them as "Potomac Departure"? He said that they are the same people and it doesn't matter. The answer was satisfactory enough at that time. The AF/D also lists them with the same frequencies, it it's a freq I've never been assigned upon getting my transponder and controller freq before takeoff.

Can someone help fill in my gaps?

I confess to not being current, so if something has changed, I wouldn't know.
Click to expand...

On not getting that specific listed frequency, you probably aren't heading into the sector that frequency covers. Most busy TRACONs have multiple frequencies and people all assigned to different sectors looking at much the same picture. You can call that frequency on initial approach and if you are not in their sector, they'll give you a handoff frequency. As for Approach or Departure, not a major issue since you're talking to the same person, it just gives them a clue on initial call what they're going to do with you, up and out or down and in.
 
Gotta love southern Colorado. I come down from Centennial talking to Denver Approach, get handed off to Springs Approach, ok they are technically a Class C. The really funny part to me is getting handed off to Pueblo Approach. Half the time you call them they answer as Denver Approach as that is who they actually are. I guess they need an approach controller for the class D field. Flying into Centennial it makes so much more sense to be handed off from an approach controller into a class D field.. one that is very busy and sits under the Denver B. Pueblo, well not so much on either of those regards.

Carl
 
There are a few baby approaches (Reading has one, you'd never notice it other than the little R on the sectional). We also have some military radar facilities around here too (Seymour-Johnson AFB) and even periodically the weekend warriors set up a mobile tracon at MRB.
 
flyingron said:
There are a few baby approaches (Reading has one, you'd never notice it other than the little R on the sectional). We also have some military radar facilities around here too (Seymour-Johnson AFB) and even periodically the weekend warriors set up a mobile tracon at MRB.
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The little Rs are gone. They were removed a few years ago to reduce chart clutter. A poor move, IMHO, as they provided good info in a very small space.
 
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