The National Airspace System is comprised of ARTCCs(en route centers), TRACONS (terminal areas) and control towers (airports). Each of these facilities divides the airspace into three-dimensional "chunks", called sectors. A controller team is assigned to each sector; although, in a tower environment the division is by airport areas and functions, not necessarily airspace sectors. At time of heavy traffic, sectors are generally fully manned; however, in periods of light traffic sectors can be combined and safely managed due to lighter volumes of traffic. When all sectors are operational, flights that traverse sectors require coordination between sector controllers, as well as a formal transfer of an aircraft's control between controllers (a handoff), and when the transfer process is completed, the pilot is told to contract the new sector on a different frequency. As described in the other discussion this week, sometimesthe transferof control can be problematic. Research and discuss what issues could arise and how these issues could be addressed.

One issue, for example, is the notion that if we take a sector and divide it into two geographical sectors, then each of the two new sectors should be able to handle as much traffic as the old sector, thereby doubling the traffic capacity of the original sector airspace volume. do you think this is correct? The answer is no, because the increase traffic adds overhead for coordinating between the two new sectors and that overhead, which is reflected in increased controller workload, decreases the volume of traffic that each controller can process, thereby causing a reduction in traffic volume that can be processed.

In your posts, discussthecontroller coordination between sectors and facilities, and cite examples where this coordination has broken and reduced safety. In your response to your classmates, cite supporting or conflicting examples as you debate their positions.