Airports Without Towers: How Do They Function?

In aviation, a non-towered airport is an airport without a control tower or air traffic control (ATC) unit. In the United States, there are almost 20,000 non-towered airports compared to around 500 airports with control towers. At non-towered airports, pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures for operating at an airport without a control tower. These procedures vary from country to country but may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency. Some non-towered airports have radio-to-ground operations to assist aircraft arriving, departing, or manoeuvring on the ground. Temporary towers may operate out of an existing airport building, an RV, or even a chair (with a portable transmitter and binoculars).

Pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures, which vary from country to country

At non-towered airports, pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures, which vary from country to country. These procedures may include standard arrival and departure protocols, as well as common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency. Pilots are always responsible for "see and avoid", so they must keep their heads up when approaching a field to look out for traffic.

Pilots may be able to obtain clearances by radio, phone, or through a company dispatcher or local flight service station. In some cases, departing aircraft may take off and level out below the floor of controlled airspace before radioing for clearance to climb further. Some countries establish low-altitude VFR corridors for non-towered airports in large urban areas, allowing VFR arrivals and departures to avoid controlled airspace.

Many non-towered airports have radio-to-ground operations such as UNICOM to assist aircraft with arrivals, departures, or ground manoeuvres. These radio operators cannot give clearances or instructions but can issue advisories about weather, runway conditions, and traffic.

Aircraft arriving and departing may require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit

At non-towered airports, pilots do not receive instructions from an air traffic controller. Instead, they follow recommended operations and communications procedures for operating at an airport without a control tower. These procedures vary from country to country, but they may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as a common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency.

Non-towered airports may lie inside or underneath controlled airspace. In that case, some or all aircraft arriving and departing require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit, such as terminal or centre control. Pilots may be able to obtain those clearances by radio, by phone, or through a company dispatcher or local flight service station. In some cases, departing aircraft (IFR or VFR) take off and level out below the floor of controlled airspace, then radio for a clearance before climbing further. Some countries establish low-altitude VFR corridors for non-towered airports in large urban areas so that VFR arrivals and departures can avoid controlled airspace altogether.

Many non-towered airports have radio-to-ground operations such as UNICOM to assist aircraft arriving, departing, or manoeuvring on the ground. These radio operators have no authority to give aircraft clearances or instructions, but they can issue advisories to let them know about weather conditions, runway conditions, traffic, and other concerns. A mobile airport traffic control tower (MATCT) is a temporary tower in an area with an immediate increase in air traffic density. This may be due to wildfire suppression operations carrying out aerial firefighting. For special events such as fly-ins, temporary towers may operate for only several days each year at fields that are otherwise non-towered.

Pilots may obtain clearances by radio, phone, or through a company dispatcher or local flight service station

At non-towered airports, pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures instead of receiving instructions from an air traffic controller. The exact procedures vary from country to country, but they may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as a common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency. Pilots may obtain clearances by radio, phone, or through a company dispatcher or local flight service station. Radio operators, such as from fixed-base operators, have no authority to give aircraft clearances or instructions, but they can issue advisories to let pilots know about weather conditions, runway conditions, traffic, and other concerns. Pilots are always responsible for "see and avoid", so they should always be looking out for traffic.

Some countries establish low-altitude VFR corridors for non-towered airports in large urban areas

In aviation, a non-towered airport is an airport without a control tower or air traffic control (ATC) unit. In the United States, there are close to 20,000 non-towered airports compared to approximately 500 airports with control towers.

Non-towered airports may lie inside or underneath controlled airspace. In that case, some or all aircraft arriving and departing require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit, such as terminal or centre control, even though there is no control tower managing landings and takeoffs. Many non-towered airports have radio-to-ground operations such as UNICOM to assist aircraft arriving, departing, or manoeuvring on the ground. These radio operators have no authority to give aircraft clearances or instructions, but they can issue advisories to let them know about weather conditions, runway conditions, traffic, and other concerns.

At non-towered airports, pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures for operating at an airport without a control tower. The exact procedures vary from country to country, but they may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as a common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency. For example, pilots are always responsible for "see and avoid" and should always have their heads up on approach to a field looking for traffic.

Temporary towers may operate out of an existing airport building, an RV, or even a chair (with a portable transmitter and binoculars)

At non-towered airports, pilots follow recommended operations and communications procedures for operating at an airport without a control tower. These procedures vary from country to country, but they may include standard arrival and departure procedures, as well as a common communications phraseology by radio transmissions over a common frequency. Pilots are always responsible for "See and Avoid", so they should always be looking out for traffic.

Many non-towered airports have radio-to-ground operations such as UNICOM to assist aircraft arriving, departing, or manoeuvring on the ground. These radio operators have no authority to give aircraft clearances or instructions, but they can issue advisories to let pilots know about weather conditions, runway conditions, traffic, and other concerns.

In some cases, non-towered airports lie inside or underneath controlled airspace. In that case, some or all aircraft arriving and departing require clearances from a remote air traffic control unit, such as terminal or centre control. Pilots may be able to obtain those clearances by radio, by phone, or through a company dispatcher or local flight service station.

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