• General
• Departures
• Arrivals
• Procedures
• Stand Allocation
• VFR Procedures
• Charts

General Information

Aerodrome Geographical Data

ATC Communication Facilities

Radio Navigation and Landing Aids

Runway Physical Characteristics

Departures

All IFR aircraft departing Prestwick must file via a Standard Instrument Departure (SID). Prestwick has 2 SID's from both runways:

• TRN1L - 13
• NGY1L - 13
• TRN1K - 31
• NGY1K - 31

Aircraft routing via the P600 North or South bound should file via a TRN Departure. Aircraft routing via SAB should file via TRN UP14 SAB. Aircraft routing via TLA should file via TRN DCT TLA but expect to be routed towards talla after departure.

Aircraft departing to the west may file via FULMA or HERON. Departures on these routings are subject to ATC approval.

Arrivals

1. All arrivals into Glasgow are required to file a STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route)..
2. Aircraft must cross the SLP´s (Speed Limit Points) at 250KIAS or less when at FL140 and below, unless ATC have directed otherwise.

Pilots are reminded that when filing flight plans there is no need to input the STAR designator in your flight plan e.g. LANAK1A. The initial fix on the STAR should be where the flight plan ends.

When runway 31 is in use at Prestwick aircraft from MARGO can expect to be taken off of the STAR and routedtowards SUMIN Descending to the MSL.

WARNING - Do not proceed beyond TRN or SUMIN without ATC clearance.

Procedures

Prestwick Controller Positions

Radar Vectoring Area

Within the RVA aircraft shall at all times be kept at least 500ft above the base of CAS and at least 2,000ft AMSL (minimum RVA level) until within the final approach area. The RVA is split into 3 sectors with bases of 2,000ft, 2,500ft and 2,900ft. Most of the time arriving aircraft will normally be descended down to 3,000ft and establish on the ILS at around 10 miles.

Aircraft may be descended below 2,000ft ONLY when the aircraft is seen on radar to be on a closing track towards final approach (of normally not more than 40 degrees away from the centreline) AND less than ten miles from touchdown.

Descent in the Final Approach Area shall be to not less than 1,600ft altitude with the aircraft aimed to be established on final approach not less than 5 miles from touchdown. Any aircraft which is not established on Final Approach (or descending on an SRA) by 5 miles from touchdown should be advised to go around.

Aircraft on an SRA should do so via the procedures outlined on the published SRA charts.

Aircraft flight strips must be kept updated with the aircrafts current cleared level.

Outside the RVA the minimum level allocated by Prestwick Radar, within 25 miles of the airport, shall be as follows

Within the sector 320°M clockwise to 065°M 3,100ft

Within the sector 065°M clockwise to 242°M 3,900ft

Within the sector 242°M clockwise to 320°M 4,000ft

Aircraft operating within CAS should, in addition to the minimum levels above, be kept vertically within CAS.

Beyond 25 miles from Prestwick the minimum level shall be the MSL (based on the Glasgow QNH)

The Stacks

Below is a summary table of the Prestwick Stacks

In the hold standard holding speeds apply.

• Up to FL140 : 220kts
• Above FL140 : 240kts

The main things to note about the stacks are;

• Where they are
• The holding pattern
• Their position in relation to Final Approach that will help you judge when to bring the aircraft off the hold
• The levels you can use
• The speeds you can use
• When to use them to your advantage

Speed Control

Speed Control is an essential part of any Radar or Approach position. Standard speeds are used almost all the time, and are required because to accurately judge the gaps and when to turn aircraft onto the ILS aircraft need to be doing the same speed. If you have aircraft doing their own speed it becomes impossible to judge, taking into account catch up rates and so on.

There are only 5 speeds an Approach Controller needs to know

• 250KTS : Aircraft should come to Radar at this speed.
• 240KTS : Standard holding speed above FL140.
• 220KTS : Standard holding speed FL140 and below. The speed aircraft should leave the stack.
• 180KTS : Speed for base leg.
• 160KTS : Speed for approach on ILS. As above, this should only be imposed if traffic volume in the RVA is dense.

No speed control can be imposed within 4-DME of the Runway Threshold.

Priorities

One of the biggest difficulties people have in ATC is prioritizing their tasks.

One of the main tasks of Prestwick Radar is to keep a good stream of aircraft coming off the stacks. By letting aircraft go into the hold it has a knock on effect within the whole CTR. The first and foremost priority though, is vectoring aircraft onto the ILS, so start your radar scan there, work through the aircraft systematically starting with the number 1 inbound. Check if there is anything you need to do, turn it onto the ILS? Tell it to descend on the ILS? Adjust its speed? Transfer it to tower? Then move to the next aircraft, ask yourself again, anything I need to do? Descend it? Turn it? And so on, keep asking yourself is there anything I need to do to this aircraft, if not, then move onto the next one. When you are done start the process again move back to the first one, then move through systematically. That way you don't forget aircraft and end up with them embarrassingly out of position.

Wake Vortex

Aircraft produce vortices from their wingtips, caused by the pressure differential between the top of the wing and the bottom of the wing meeting at the wingtips. What happens is large circular vortices form and trail behind the aircraft, a little like this:

The severity of these vortices depends on the weight of the aircraft. Large aircraft like 747s create very large, dangerous vortices, whereas an ATR72 creates much smaller, less hazardous vortices. Wake vortex is an extremely dangerous phenomena, the vortex spacing MUST be applied. In the past aircraft as large as DC9s have crashed after hitting vortex wakes on final approach. It is dangerous, planes have crashed because of it, therefore you have to take it seriously.

Missed Approach Procedures

Missed approach procedures are detailed on the Instrument Approach charts. They can be found by using the Chart Link at the top of the page.

Stand Allocation

All Civil aircraft should park on stands 1-5. Cargo flights shall be partked on 6-11

VFR Procedures

VFR

VFR flights in the Control Zone will be given routing instructions and/or altitude restrictions in order to integrate VFR flights with other traffic.

Entry/Exit Lanes

The following entry/exit lanes are notified, to permit aircraft to operate to and from Prestwick Airport in IMC under the conditions stated, as follows:

1 A lane 3 nm wide, with centreline from Irvine Harbour 553639N 0044155W (a point on the northern Prestwick CTR boundary), thence
southeast along the coast to Barassie, then along the railway line to the point at which it joins the Prestwick Aerodrome Traffic Zone;
2 A lane 3 nm wide, with centre-line from Doonfoot 552625N 0043903W (a point on the southern Prestwick CTR boundary), thence
northeast along the coast to the point at which it joins the Prestwick Aerodrome Traffic Zone.

Use of the lanes is subject to clearance by Prestwick ATC and the carriage of the Prestwick Approach Control frequency

Aircraft using the lanes must remain clear of cloud and in sight of the surface, not above 3000 ft (Prestwick QNH), and in flight visibility of
not less than 3 km.

An aircraft using a lane shall keep the centre-line on its left, unless otherwise instructed by ATC for separation purposes. In these
circumstances ATC will pass traffic information to the aircraft concerned.

Pilots of aircraft are responsible for maintaining adequate clearance from the surface or other obstacles.

Special VFR

Clearance may be requested for Special VFR flight in IMC or at night within the Prestwick Control Zone and will be given whenever the traffic
situation permits. These flights are subject to the general provisions laid down for Special VFR flights.

Pilots are reminded that they must at all times, when operating on a Special VFR clearance, remain clear of cloud and in sight of the surface
and in flight conditions which will enable them to determine their flight path and keep clear of obstacles. Due to the nature of the terrain in the
vicinity of Prestwick Airport, radar vectoring will not normally be applied to aircraft operating in accordance with a Special VFR clearance.

Pilots are reminded that a Special VFR clearance applies only to flight within the Prestwick Control Zone and does not extend to flight within
the surrounding airspace of the Prestwick Control Area or Scottish Terminal Control Area.

Special VFR clearances will not normally be granted for flights operating in VMC or for flights by aircraft exceeding 5700 kg MTWA.

Visual Reference Points

Visual Reference Points are established for use by aerodrome and en-route traffic as follows:

• Culzean Bay
• Cumnock
• Doonfoot
• Heads of Ayr
• Irvine Harbour
• Kilmarnock
• Pladda
• West Kilbride

Back to top