Controllers
ZFW Airspace Definition
ARTCCs, usually referred to as "Centers," are established primarily to provide Air Traffic Service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within the controlled airspace, and principally during the en route phase of flight. There are 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) in the United States. Any aircraft operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) within the confines of an ARTCC's airspace is controlled by air traffic controllers at the Center. This includes all sorts of different types of aircraft: privately owned single engine aircraft, commuter airlines, military jets and commercial airlines.
The Fort Worth virtual Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZFW) is a typical ARTCC. The Ft. Worth vARTCC geographical coverage area is shown below.
There are 4 En Route Centers adjacent to Fort Worth Center. In addition, there are 7 ATC Towers inside ZFW airspace and 5 radar approach control facilities that are active within Fort Worth Center. Fort Worth Center also provides approach control services to 85 public and private use airports with instrument approach procedures. There are 148 public and private use airports in the DFW terminal area. Demand on airspace is very high and presents complex traffic situations in both the terminal and En Route environments.
Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZFW) is an en route air traffic control facility covering portions of 5 states with boundaries stretching from Monroe, Louisiana, to Hobbs, New Mexico, and from Tulsa Oklahoma, to Temple, Texas. The Center provides services to 85 airports with instrument approach procedures and 20 radar approach control facilities including the Dallas/Fort Worth terminal area.
Fort Worth Center began operations on March 1, 1939 in the Majestic Theater in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The facility later moved north a few miles to the Southwest Regional Headquarters near Meacham Field. On March 31, 1962, Fort Worth Center moved to the present location just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and for the first time had a facility that was specifically designed for en route operations.
Today Fort Worth Center covers approximately 160,000 square miles of airspace. There are 14 military bases operating a wide variety of aircraft. The Center is the controlling agency for 23 military operations areas (MOAs), 8 aerial refueling tracks, and a number of other military activities.
In 1996 the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Air Traffic System Plan was implemented providing new and innovated services as well as improving efficiency of operations to the customers. The facility continues to strive to enhance communications, navigation, traffic management initiatives, and other improvements to the National Airspace System. The Host and Oceanic Computer System Replacement (HOCSR) was declared operational on March 8, 1999 and the Display System Replacement (DSR) on June 15, 1999.
More information about real world Fort Worth Center is available on the World Wide Web at: www.zfwartcc.jccbi.gov