regional approach VS regional departure VS Center?

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aeronav

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I am a student PPL, I know/understand the concept of centers and the service they provide, but I often find it confusing to differentiate centers from regional, so what is the key difference among regional approach VS regional departure VS Center? do they have the same frequency?
Thanks
 
You need the first divide ATC function to Tracons and Center. The Tracons (terminal radar approach control) are radar facilities associated with high volume airports (Class C and B). Center (air route traffic control center) is the ATC function between and over the areas serviced by the Tracons.

Approach/Departurer is associated with Tracons. Basically approach and departure control are Tracon frequencies used to reduce controller work load by assigning departure traffic to on frequency and arrivals to a different frequency. Center also has it own frequencies. Thus an aircraft arriving a terminal area is communicating with Center, handed off to approach, and then to the tower. Departing traffic first speak to the tower, then departure, and then handed off to .center.
 
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Clip4 said:
You need the first divide ATC function to Tracons and Center. The Tracons (terminal radar approach control) are radar facilities associated with high volume airports (Class C and B). Center (air route traffic control center) is the ATC function between and over the areas serviced by the Tracons.

Approach/Departurer is associated with Tracons. Basically approach and departure control are Tracon frequencies used to reduce controller work load by assigning departure traffic to on frequency and arrivals to a different frequency. Center also has it own frequencies. Thus an aircraft arriving a terminal area is communicating with Center, handed off to approach, and then to the tower. Departing traffic first speak to the tower, then departure, and then handed off to .center.
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Awesome, simple to understand now, thanks.
 
By your use of the term Regional Approach, I assume you’re learning to fly in the Dallas Ft Worth area. “Regional Approach” is the actual name of that specific approach control - you will not use that name elsewhere in the country, as far as I know. In general the approach control name would be that of the major airport in the area, or nearby. Such as Oklahoma City Approach Control. But sometimes multiple approach controls get combined into one and they make the name more generic, like Potomac Approach in the DC area, or Regional Approach for DFW.

Just want to clarify that, since they way you worded the question made me think you thought Regional Approach was a type of approach control, not a specific facility.
 
RussR said:
By your use of the term Regional Approach, I assume you’re learning to fly in the Dallas Ft Worth area. “Regional Approach” is the actual name of that specific approach control - you will not use that name elsewhere in the country, as far as I know. In general the approach control name would be that of the major airport in the area, or nearby. Such as Oklahoma City Approach Control. But sometimes multiple approach controls get combined into one and they make the name more generic, like Potomac Approach in the DC area, or Regional Approach for DFW.

Just want to clarify that, since they way you worded the question made me think you thought Regional Approach was a type of approach control, not a specific facility.
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Yes, I am training in the DFW area, my instructor used regional approach for VFR flight following when we were doing a cross country a week ago, I didn't ask him then because i had my hands full flying, so it just came to me now and wanted to know.
 
This is a great question, which already has some great answers. It was confusing to me at first too, and I fly in a very busy Tracon area. One thing that vexed me, and which you are sure to encounter, is that “approach” and “departure” are named for your phase in flight, not necessarily the frequency and controller you are on with. So, when departing you call “Norcal departure” and you might someone else refer to the same controller as “Norcal approach”. And yes, you guessed it, I am in northern California. I’ve also visited “SoCal approach” many times, and I love “Big Sky Approach”.

What else is out there?
 
Jorge Borbolla said:
This is a great question, which already has some great answers. It was confusing to me at first too, and I fly in a very busy Tracon area. One thing that vexed me, and which you are sure to encounter, is that “approach” and “departure” are named for your phase in flight, not necessarily the frequency and controller you are on with. So, when departing you call “Norcal departure” and you might someone else refer to the same controller as “Norcal approach”. And yes, you guessed it, I am in northern California. I’ve also visited “SoCal approach” many times, and I love “Big Sky Approach”.

What else is out there?
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As far as non-city-named TRACONs? We've already mentioned NorCal, SoCal, and Regional. There's also Potomac in the DC/Baltimore area, Razorback in NW AR, Cape in MA, and I'm sure there's more.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
As far as non-city-named TRACONs? We've already mentioned NorCal, SoCal, and Regional. There's also Potomac in the DC/Baltimore area, Razorback in NW AR, Cape in MA, and I'm sure there's more.
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Often times a nearby military base will run the approach, for example Luke Approach, Campbell Approach, Shaw Approach. Those are just some examples I’ve personally talked to
 
KaiGywer said:
Often times a nearby military base will run the approach, for example Luke Approach, Campbell Approach, Shaw Approach. Those are just some examples I’ve personally talked to
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Don't really mean nuthin, Approach is Approach regardless of the name of the building they work in, but the FAA has TRACON's, Navy/Marine has RATCF's, Air Force has RAPCON's and Army has ARAC.
 
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aeronav said:
Yes, I am training in the DFW area, my instructor used regional approach for VFR flight following when we were doing a cross country a week ago, I didn't ask him then because i had my hands full flying, so it just came to me now and wanted to know.
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Just in case, I'm re-enforcing what what @RussR said, it's "Regional Approach" - the call sign of the Dallas - Ft Worth TRACON facility. Not "regional approach," some generic description of an approach facility which covers an area.
 
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Think in terms of the 3D pictures of airspace like you see B/C/D cones coming off the surface...basic rule of thumb... TRACON (approach/departure...and they are the same controllers) usually covers the airspace 30 miles surrounding B and C airspace up to 10,000'. Center covers all the rest of the airspace in between and above that.

That is VERY much a generalization and there are certainly exceptions but that is the general idea of who owns what.
 
luvflyin said:
Don't really mean nuthin, Approach is Approach regardless of the name of the building they work in, but the FAA has TRACON's, Navy/Marine has RATCF's, Air Force has RAPCON's and Army has ARAC.
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While we called it a RATCF, once approach rated, they put TRACON on my pink card.

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It's good to understand where those disembodied voices in your head really live and what their airspace responsibilities are.

It's also worth understanding that in practice, you can easily fly without knowing any of that. Figure out how to make initial radio contact wherever you are (find frequencies from charts or A/FD (or whatever it's called these days), and then just use whatever name they tell you to call when they hand you off after that.
 
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