Air Traffic Control

     The Ground Controller and Local Controller are the two important types of air traffic control entities. Think about a large airport like the Los Angeles International airport (LAX), hundreds of flights are going in and out of that airport daily. Who do you think coordinates the logistical nightmare that has so many moving parts going to so many different destinations. Those people controlling the ground and sky are the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC). They are broken down into different specialties throughout ATC to ensure every single detail is covered and all aircrafts are moving smoothly and safely. 

    The ground controller is responsible for all ground traffic, which includes aircraft taxiing from the gates to takeoff runways and landing runways to the gates. The ground controller is the authority that determines when it is safe for an aircraft to move about on a runway/taxiway. The ground controller instructs the pilot to take a certain taxi and which runway to take off at. At this point the aircraft reaches the runway and the ground controller passes the aircraft on to the local controller.

    The local controller is in the tower watching the skies above the airfield and uses surface radar to track aircraft. This controller is responsible for ensuring there is a safe distance between planes as they takeoff and is deemed the final authority that gives clearance to a pilot to takeoff. At this point the local controller passes the flight off to a departure controller but still has some oversight for the next 5 miles.

References

Freudenrich, C. (2021, March 02). How air traffic control works. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/air-traffic-control.htm