Terminal control area

The TMA or TMA ( Terminal Area ), English Terminal Control Area or Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA ) is a special airspace sector to airports with a control zone (CTR ) ( D airspace in Germany (CTR ) ). Air traffic control uses this to control and monitor the arrivals and departures.

Task

The transport areas protect the arriving and departing IFR traffic ( instrument flight ) before VFR traffic ( VFR traffic ) by the uncontrolled airspace G is replaced by the E controlled airspace. This air space requires compliance with stricter weather minimums for VFR traffic. The size of a TMA is dependent on various factors. The height limits are to be defined according to the guidelines of ICAO in units of 100 or 1000 feet (ft):

The lower limit is either 1000 ft Above ground level (AGL ) ( TMA sector A), 1700 ft AGL ( TMA sector B) or 2500 ft AGL ( TMA sector C). Since the controlled airspace ( airspace E) starts regularly in 2500 ft AGL in Germany, exist here no C- sectors of the terminal areas. Is responsible for air traffic control each Area Control Center (ACC ), where at least one workstation is set up as approach and departure control.

TMAs are colored blue in the ICAO 1:500,000 map.