VRC Documentation

Pointing Out an Aircraft

While tracking aircraft in a radar position, there are times when an aircraft that belongs to you will need to briefly pass into an adjacent controller's airspace before returning to your airspace or before being handed off to a third controller. In these cases, it doesn't make much sense to handoff the aircraft to the second controller, when he or she would only be tracking the aircraft for a very brief period of time. In such a situation, it makes more sense to perform a "pointout" of the aircraft to the controller who's airspace it will only temporarily traverse.

When you point out an aircraft to another controller, he or she receives some notification of the pointout based on the radar program and radar mode he or she is using. Normally the aircraft will switch to a full datablock and a sound is played.

To perform a pointout in VRC, press the F1 key followed by the Sector ID of the controller you wish to point out the aircraft to, followed by slewing the target or pressing the ASEL key if the aircraft is already selected. The Sector ID for any controller is listed to the left of the controller's callsign in the controller list. For active controller positions, this is always a two-character ID. (See "The Controller List")

© Copyright 2005 Ross Alan Carlson - All Rights Reserved