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Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

MCAS Iwakuni is a mission-ready air station, capable of providing continuous base-operating support for tenant organizations and follow-on U.S. and allied forces during training, combat or contingency (HA/DR) operations throughout the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
Air Traffic Control keeps eyes on Station skies

By Lance Cpl. Colin Wyers | | December 21, 2001

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Each day, dozens of aircraft take off and land on the Station to accomplish their mission, but they could not do it without one important section aboard the Station.

To keep the aircraft out of harm's way requires Marines on the ground at Station Air Traffic Control to guide them on their way.

"Our mission is the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Joseph Roppo, former tower watch supervisor.  "With the amount of traffic we have here, the pilots couldn't accomplish it on their own.  They couldn't keep safe without us."

Air Traffic Control is divided into three elements, according to Roppo.

The main office deals with procedures, maintaining the daily logs, and special requests, he explained.

The most visible aspect of ATC, the tower, is responsible for anything that can be handled visually, up to five miles out depending on weather conditions.

When aircraft are out of visual range, the radar section is responsible for watching them up to 60 miles away from the Station, he noted.

Within the tower there are many seats to be filled, by a Marine with an important job.  The ground position is responsible for talking to ground vehicles on the move and taxiing planes.  The data position is responsible for coordinating the inbound and outbound planes, along with radar.  Local control is responsible for talking to pilots within five miles of the Station on clear days, according to Roppo.  And the supervisor is in charge of coordinating between those positions.
"They switch in and out of the positions all day," Roppo said.  "So you can have a corporal as a supervisor, with a sergeant on data and a staff sergeant on ground.  It's a unique position in that sense."

Although nearby aircraft are directed by the tower, once a plane is beyond its operating range, guiding it is taken over by the radar section.

Located in the Radar Air Traffic Control Facility, the section is responsible for handling guidance of aircraft out to the limits of the Station's airspace, as well as during low-visibility conditions, according to Roppo.  The facility uses a radar dish to collect information about incoming and outgoing aircraft.

Inside the RATCF, there are several positions to be manned, according to Roppo.  Data, working with the counterpart section in the tower, keeps track of the incoming and outgoing aircraft.  Approach control keeps track of the approach paths of aircraft and guides the pilots into their recommended elevation and approach.  And the "scopes," or radar displays, allow Marines to keep track of aircraft in relation to each other.  To ensure everyone stays safe, 3 miles must be maintained between aircraft.

At the edge of the Station's airspace, the data section is responsible for handing the plane off to air traffic controls responsible for that area, according to Roppo.  Local airports, such as Hiroshima, Hiroshima-Nisha, and Fukoyoka, work with Station ATC to hand-off aircraft at the edge of their airspace.

The Station's ATC is unique in the Marine Corps for one reason.  It works hand in hand with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

"This is the only Marine Corps air station that has Japanese aircraft stationed on it," said Staff Sgt. Garry Evans, ATC Crew One chief.

Working with the Japanese pilots takes some getting used to, but English is the standard language of ATC.

"All Japanese pilots speak English," Evans said.  "But there's still going to be a little bit of a language barrier.  Once you're used to them, it's easy.  The hard part is getting used to their English accent, and how the aircraft are different."

Japanese aircraft, like the US-1 and Learjet, have different operating characteristics than comparable U.S. aircraft, Evans added.

For some, the chance to work with so many different kinds of people is what makes the job of ATC rewarding.

"This job has had me working with so many different cultures, from so many different countries," Evans said.  "I've worked with the Greeks, the Spanish, the French, the Italians, and now the Japanese.  To me, that's what's been the most rewarding."

Without ATC coordinating between the JMSDF pilots, civilian flights, and the Marine squadrons, the aircraft and their crews would not be able to accomplish their mission.

"Safety of flight for the aircraft based here is our purpose," said Roppo.  "With the amount of traffic that's here, the Marine Aircraft Group 12 couldn't do their mission safely without the safety that we provide them."
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