Flow Management Position
For controllers subject to FMP, please see at the end of this page for abbreviated procedures you can expect.
ALB = Arrival Load Balancer
1. Objective and Responsibilities
As Flow Manager (EKDK_FMP) Your objectives and responsibilities in the time period FMP active traffic flow is in sequence of succession:
- Establish Flow rates via ALB consistent with traffic demands.
- Chapter 2
- Manage flow inbound to copenhagen by use of the "BIDE" Acronym
- Balance
- Interrogate
- Distribute
- Equalize
Details of how to achieve all is specified below and is continuously updated.
Please refer to this documentation every time before you log onto EKDK_FMP
2. Flow Rates into TMA
Adjusting the flow rate of aircraft handed over from the 5 ACC sectors (DK_E, DK_D, DK_B, MML, MMK) into TMA. They are managed and communicated via the ALB, and has several pre-defined scenarios.
2.1 Standard Separation (Green Flow)
This scenario used from the beginning of event until hourly rate becomes more than 30/hr.
Arrival rate 150 flights / hr
2.1.1 Required Rates
All ACCs have standard handovers as pr. LAI/LOA of 10nm with leading aircraft faster, or 5nm with leading aircraft fast if prior coordination has been obtained.
This is valid for all sectors.
2.1.2 Thoughts and considerations
This rate is being used when so little load will be on the TMA (smaller than 30/hr) that the distribution of flights are negligeble.
Either via manual calculations, ALB or MAESTRO, fine tuning of timings, and speed restrictions can be utilized with this rate. Neither are mandatory, but may make APPs use of vectors more efficient.
2.2 Reduced flow (Yellow Flow)
This scenario used from when ALB advise of an hourly rate of MORE than ~30/hr, but with TMA consitent load factor of 12 airplanes or less
Arrival rate 56 flights / hr
2.1.1 Required Rates
ALB has several scenarios for rates distribution based on the load factor for STARs.
Load factors are displayed in percent for the next 30 minutes.
The scenarios included are valid 95% of the time and are adjusted as follows:
2.1.2 Thoughts and considerations
Consider start negotiating with Upper ACCs in providing delay vectors in order to help achieving the required separation as early as possible
Invoke LOA point on EDYY and EDWW to increase separation to minimum 25nm.
2.3 Peak Flow (RedFlow)
This scenario used from when ALB advise of a TMA load of 12 or more AND 30flight/hr. or more inbound.
Arrival rate 45 flights / hr
2.1.1 Required Rates
ALB has similar scenarios for Peak flow as well. 12 or more planes in TMA signifies that TMA has reached capacity and immediately action is required to reduce flow rate to a level that is sustainable and comparative to what the TMA can land
The scenarios included are valid 95% of the time and are adjusted as follows:
2.1.2 Thoughts and considerations
2. Management
Use the Acronym BIDE to remember your tasks
2.1 "BIDE"
In addition to managing the flow rate, you need to manage different aspects of the night in regards to traffic. For an attempt to make it easier to remember the acronym BIDE can be used, to remember the four different areas you must manage.
- Balance
- Prioritise a specific STAR via the ALB when load is disproportionally heavy
- Interrogate
- Coordinate with various upper ACCs (DK_A, DK_N,DWM,YY) to achieve
- Distribute
- Re-Route from East to West and West to East.
- Equalize
- Ensure that releases from holdings are consistent with who has been there the longest from each side
All is explained in Detail below
2.2 Balance
2.2.1. Balanced or prioritized flow
From the very beginning of the event you need to identify, via ALB or your screen a potential situation where you need to switch the vast majority of the flow to one STAR in order to avoid a total collapse on that sector.
Please note that:
- The state of imbalanced flow is so extreme that it should not be used for more than 15minutes.
- with 2 min / 10nm separation from the prioritized STAR you get 8 aircraft in in that time, meaning a hugely efficient thing.
- MAKE SURE the controller is using tight spacing
- Consider telling 10nm spacing, down to 7.5 pre-coordinated by you, in order to ensure lots of traffic gets is.
- If controller is NOT adhering to the tight spacing consider giving additional individual releases to balance things out.
2.2.2. ALB
This means that for PRIORITY STAR that:
- Prioritized STAR has 10nm /2min separation
- Tell ACC sector that 7.5nm is pre-coordinated by you with APP
- All other STARs on that side are STOP, however on WEST STREAM you have freedom to do individual release
- Priority TUDLO/TESPI has an hourly rate of ~36 an hour, meaning you can release ERNOV or TUDLO flights meaning you can release ~2-3 airplanes during a 15 minute period to your liking depending on where its needed the most.
- For TUDLO/TESPI priority MONAK still release with 6min due to the perceived threat of a stop at MONAK
- This can be altered if required by you if required
This means that for PRIORITY O/W that:
- Priority W considers that TUDLO stream gets re-routed via Vectors to the east side for sequencing and general balancing.
- Priority-O will only be in case of light load on WEST stream and high load on BOTH MONAK and TIDVU STAR
- This would be a very rare phenomenon. For overloaded MONAK use "PRIORITY MONAK"
2.2.3 Thoughts and considerations
2.3 Interrogate
2.3.1 General
It is vital that you talk to the Upper ACCs both domestic and foreign to pre-sequence and help out your ACCs. These are in particular following things in order of importance based off experience and feedback.
- MONAK: Talk to DWM (Muritz sector) and get them to stack airplanes from FL200 up to FL270 when you see a potential overload situation.
- DO NOT rely on EKDK_B to do this as he will be busy
- DO NOT rely on DWM to do this as he will not have an overview of what is needed
- Establish Secondary holdings to stop flow into EKCH
- For TUDLO establish enroute hold at TALSA when no more entries towards EKCH is accepted by you
- For TESPI establish enroute hold at AAL when no more entries towards EKCH is accepted by you
- For MONAK, tell DWM (Muritz) that no more inbound are accepted at this time (15min-30min. notice required) and advise to establish an enroute hold as desired, or start diverting.
2.4 Distribute
2.4.1 General
This is about distributing flights to which arrivals, or more precise when to REdistribute arrivals to other STARs.
We want to have an ~55/45 split on EAST/WEST. You should consider distributing flights to other STARs when you:
- See an imbalance or empty STARs with other STARs full but no extreme enough to warrant a "Prioritized flow".
- A potential overload situation can happen on a STAR if immediate action is not taken
- Tactical distribution for reasons of your discretion
2.4.2 Techniques
Changing a STAR must ALWAYS adhere to the following.
- Ask the Sector which will get the aircraft to request a tactical direct to their sector
- Ask the sector to change the flightplan route to be only the point of the new STAR.
2.4.2 Recommended distribution changes
Following flights are highly effective an recommended
1. EDDH via MONAK - Distribute to TUDLO/TESPI
- EDDH flies at FL230 and hence creates all sorts of issues for DK_B. Consider distributing to TUDLO or TESPI depending on which STAR has the most space (Can be issues as an ECFMP as well)
- Consider whether to keep af FL230 or climb to FL290 to be distributed to EDK_A
2. EDWW via MONAK from T208
- In a potential MONAK overload situation flights via T208 can be effectively rerouted to TIDVU for holding there. A good direct to propose is "BAKLI" as this is a valid point for the direction
- MONAK: Talk to DWM (Muritz sector) and get them to stack airplanes from FL200 up to FL270 when you see a potential overload situation.
- DO NOT rely on EKDK_B to do this as he will be busy
- DO NOT rely on DWM to do this as he will not have an overview of what is needed
- Establish Secondary holdings to stop flow into EKCH
- For TUDLO establish enroute hold at TALSA when no more entries towards EKCH is accepted by you
- For TESPI establish enroute hold at AAL when no more entries towards EKCH is accepted by you
- For MONAK, tell DWM (Muritz) that no more inbound are accepted at this time (15min-30min. notice required) and advise to establish an enroute hold as desired, or start diverting.
3. Holdings (Red) scenario
When it becomes APPARENT to you that with the rate given EKDK_D/E/B cannot maintain separation, and holdings are needed!
You will know holdings are needed before BIDE. Advise them to be ready for it.
WEST FLOW
Start when it becomes apparent by taking a talk with EKDK_A_CTR and EKDK_V_CTR
Advise them to:
- Clear aircraft onto the arrival
- Clear aircraft into the hold
- Update the tag so aircraft enters holding list
Consider if holdings get very busy for EKDK_A/V to:
- Descend aircraft to the lowest available holding level
- Enter holds above Fl285, and handover as needed
Release and EATs.
Keep previous flow rate until APP appears very full.
The revert to flow rate as below
Sector | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) | Or | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) |
EKDK_E_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
EKDK_D_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
ESMM_K | -- | 10 | Or | 30* | 6* |
Above table depend on ERNOV. Use MDI=10 for ERNOV unless conditions renders impossible
Ask all sectors to enter EATs as follows:
ERNOV
count 5-10 min from beginning of hold and then assign EATs with 10min interval independently of what goes on with EKDK_E/D
TUDLO/TESPI
Identify via the holding list the distribution of traffic on each arrival.
- ETOs are within approx 10min of eachother = Give the rate as pr. table above
- ETOs are heavily skewed to one of the other = Hold one completely and half the separation time for the other.
Example of skewity.
Lets pretend time is 1930z for first release:
Ask each BIDE sector over text to enter following information to their EATs
This scenario was the 6,6,10 scenario with only one holding at the time, meaning 3min release.
EAST FLOW
east flow we must take following considerations
- TIDVU will never be more busy than MONAK
- MONAK gets very difficult very fast
- Keeping MONAK holdings manageable is a top priority
When holdings are imminent, keep very vigilant of following:
- Get an overview if traffic from Muritz will be managable
- Prepare to give stacked levels to Muritz in accordance with the holding
- Get an overview of IF diversions to other STARs are needed
- Divert to other STARs ONLY for the purpose of keeping holding managable. Dont worry about traffic balancing.
Sector | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) |
EKDK_B_CTR | 15nm | 3 |
EDWW_M | 25*/** | |
ESMM_L | -- | 10 |
*Ask Muritz to start stacking to FL270 if 25nm cannot be maintained.
*ensure Muritz employ minimum speed
Imbalance mitigation
It can happen that one particular STAR is so overloaded compared to others that immediate priority is needed to avoid overflow of holdings. this is mainly apparent when:
- MONAK early in the event
- TESPI when ENGM/ENBR traffic is heavy.
If condition allows then go a heavily prioritize the STAR needing direct priority. Do this for no more than 15 minutes to avoid overload at other STARs. In this case utilize following.
Sector | Separation (nm) | Pre-coordinated to minimum | |
Peak STAR | 10nm | 7.5 | |
Other STARs on same side | Complete STOP | 6 | |
STARs on other side | -- | 6min EAT, given as needed from holdings |
*15 min with that separation you can relieve almost 8 aircraft from a holding
Controller abbreviated procedures
As controllers expect following to be issued by EKDK_FMP
Low traffic load
All Sectors: Standard separation 10nm, min. 5nm only with verbal coordination
Medium traffic load
Depending on amount of aircrafts in the TMA.
If less than 10 aircraft in TMA expect following
Sector | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) | Or | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) |
EKDK_E_CTR | 20nm | 4 | Or | 25* | 5* |
EKDK_D_CTR | 20nm | 4 | Or | 25* | 5* |
EKDK_B_CTR | 15nm | 3 | Or | 30* | 6* |
*In case of high load on ESMM sectors.
If 10 aircraft or more in TMA
Sector | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) | Or | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) |
EKDK_E_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
EKDK_D_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
EKDK_B_CTR | 15nm | 3 | Or | 30* | 6* |
*In case of high load on ESMM sector
At all times shall you establish holdings in order to accommodate the required separation
Peak traffic load
Sector | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) | Or | Separation (nm) | Separation (Min.) |
EKDK_E_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
EKDK_D_CTR | 30nm | 6 | Or | 40* | 8* |
ESMM_K | -- | 10 | Or | 30* | 6* |
*In case of high load on ESMM sector
Holding notes
Please in your holding list go to "VIEW" and click on "EAT" to show EAT column. Please put in the EAT as directed by EKDK_FMP (EAT=Expected Approach time, and is the time you may clear an aircraft to pass the inbound fix (KOR, TNO, NEKSO).
Imbalance Mitigation
For a duration of no more than 15min. imbalance mitigation can be used to correct for extreme load on one particular STAR.
- You STAR is the subject?
- Apply 7.5 - 10nm separation:
- less than 7.5nm must be coordinated
- 7.5nm and above is PRE-COORDINATED by FMP
- Apply 7.5 - 10nm separation:
- another STAR on your side (East/West) is the subject?
- Stop all approaches. Hold indefinitely
- another STAR on opposite side (East/West) is the subject?
- EAT as assigned by EKDK_FMP. Keep a look out.