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AC-based controllers provide air traffic services mainly within the London Flight Information Region (FIR). This airspace is split into five Local Area Groups (LAGs) which consist of 35 sectors, they relate to the position of the airspace sector groups within the FIR. All sectors have the R/T callsign "London Control".
This airspace is split into two groups or banks, TC North and TC South, which not only relates to the position of the airspace sector relative to London Heathrow, but also the direction in the Terminal Control Room in which that sector's controllers face when at their radar consoles. TC North is further split into North East (3 sectors) and North West (2 sectors). TC South is further split into South East (3 sectors) and South West (3 sectors).
The Approach Control units for the five major London airports are also controlled from TC, plus the radar approach services for Biggin Hill and initial sequencing for some Southend traffic. Each approach unit has more than one sector. The majority of the work for the approach units is controlling the sequence of aircraft making an approach at an airport from the holds until established on final approach about four miles away from the airport. The approach units also handle some aircraft departing from the airport, when that aircraft's departure conflicts with the approach sequence.
TC is slightly unusual for a Terminal Control Centre in that it also has a number of en-route sectors responsible for lower levels of airspace on the outside, on top of and in the outer parts the TMA. These sectors not only include Class A airspace in the TMA and surrounding CTAs below FL195, but also Class C airspace above FL195. These are controlled from TC because they mainly feed traffic into and out of the main London airports. They are grouped as TC East (4 sectors), TC Midlands (4 sectors) and TC Capital (2 sectors). TC Midlands is somewhat of a hybrid since it also interacts directly with airports and the aircraft departing from them in the same way as the TMA sectors.
Source VATSIM UK
Source VATSIM UK
Source VATSIM UK
Source VATSIM UK