What does the introduction of partial retirement mean in concrete terms?
An aerodrome traffic zone (ATZ) is a specially protected area of airspace around an aerodrome. It is set up to make flight movements in the immediate vicinity of the airport safer and easier to coordinate. Pilots are obliged to avoid this zone unless they are planning to do so:
- A landing at Essen/Mülheim Airport.
- A take-off from Essen/Mülheim Airport.
This means that through flights are prohibited without prior authorisation or without a clear connection to airfield operations. This regulation protects the airspace from potential hazards caused by uncoordinated air traffic and reduces the risk of collisions.
Details of the ATZ Essen/Mülheim
- Spatial expansion:
The ATZ is precisely defined by geographical coordinates:- 51°24'19''N 06°52'41''E
- 51°26'44''N 06°57'50''E
- 51°24'26''N 07°00'34''E
- 51°22'00''N 06°55'26''E
- From the earth's surface up to a height of 1500 feet above mean sea level (MSL).
- Temporal effectiveness:
The ATZ is active during the Operating hours of Essen/Mülheim Airport. Pilots must find out the exact times in advance.
Obligations for pilots
- Avoidance of the ATZ:
Pilots may use the ATZ do not fly throughif they do not intend to land or take off within the zone. - Obligation to report entry and exit:
- Entry must take place no later than five minutes before be reported to the aerodrome information centre "ESSEN/MÜHLHEIM RADIO".
- An excursion must five minutes after that at the latest must also be reported there.
These measures serve to keep the aerodrome information centre constantly informed about current flight movements in the ATZ and to avoid conflicts.
Why was the ATZ set up?
The main purpose of the ATZ is the Protection of airfield traffic. The increasing importance of commercial airfields such as Essen/Mülheim for regional aviation makes it necessary to define clear rules for the immediate airspace.
The ATZ should:
- Making air traffic safer by preventing unnecessary through flights.
- Enable better coordination between pilots and aerodrome management.
- Minimise the risk of dangerous approaches or collisions.
These measures will make airport operations more efficient and safer.
Exceptions to the regulation
The following operational flights are exempt from the ATZ requirements:
- Federal and state police flights.
- Primary mission flights of rescue helicopters.
In these cases, it is recommended that the aerodrome information centre be informed of the flight intentions, if the mission permits this. Further exceptions can be authorised by the responsible state aviation authority (Düsseldorf District Government, Aviation Department 26).
Recommended behaviour within the ATZ
In order to increase safety, pilots are recommended to Own speed to 100 knots (185 km/h) to be limited. This facilitates navigation and improves controllability in the busy airspace.
Source references:
NFL (the link requires a subscription to Eisenschmidt)
