Overview

Before taking a position, every controller needs to answer three questions: where am I, what applies here, and what do I do. "Where am I" is the airspace structure — FIR, UTA, CTA, TMA, CTR, ATZ. "What applies here" is the class of that airspace — which service is provided, what separation exists, what communication is required. "What do I do" is the air traffic service itself, provided by an ATS unit through an operational position.

This manual exists to answer those three questions, in the order in which they come up in operations. The other manuals on the portal — Aeronautical Phraseology, VFR Phraseology, Traffic Circuit — already take these concepts for granted without defining them: they talk about "TMA", "Class D airspace" or "flight information service" as if the reader already knew what they mean. This is the manual where those definitions live.

About this Manual

This manual is built on ICA 100-37 ¹, which regulates Air Traffic Services in Brazil, and ICA 100-12 ², which establishes the Rules of the Air applicable to the operation of aircraft in Brazilian airspace, supported by MCA 100-16 ³ and the AIP Brasil.

It was written to be consulted chapter by chapter, according to the question at hand, but reading it in sequence helps: each chapter builds on the concepts defined in the previous one, from the airspace structure up to the flight rules and levels that put everything into practice.

Scope

This manual covers:

• the vertical and horizontal structure of Brazilian airspace: FIR, UTA, CTA, TMA, CTR and ATZ;
• the airspace classes used in Brazil and the service, separation and communication rules associated with each one;
• the air traffic services — air traffic control, flight information, alerting and air traffic advisory — and in which portion of the airspace each one applies;
• the ATS units and the corresponding operational positions at Vatsim Brasil;
• the flight rules (VFR and IFR) and the flight levels used on the network.

Out of scope

The following are not part of this manual:

• emergencies and contingencies;
• communication failure;
• interception;
• special use airspace (prohibited, restricted and danger areas);
• ATS routes and airways;
• radar vectoring and separation.

For these cases, refer to the specific regulations or the corresponding manual.

How to use this manual

1. Read Airspace Structure to understand the vertical and horizontal divisions of Brazilian airspace.
2. Read Airspace Classes to learn which service, separation and communication apply in each class.
3. Read Air Traffic Services to tell control, flight information and alerting apart.
4. Read ATS Units and Positions to relate each service to the corresponding ATS unit and operational position at Vatsim Brasil.
5. Read Flight Rules and Levels to lock in VFR, IFR and the cruising level table.
6. Keep the Quick Checklist handy to review before connecting to the network.