In
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...
, a terminal control area (TMA, or TCA in the U.S. and Canada), is a designated area of
controlled airspace surrounding a major airport where there is a high volume of traffic. TMA airspace is normally designed in a circular configuration centered on the airport, and differs from a
control area in that it includes several levels of increasingly larger areas, creating an "upside-down wedding cake" shape.
In Canada, the inner circle of the TCA is generally a 12
NM radius from the airport geographic center based at 1200 feet
AGL, with an intermediate circle at 35 NM based at 2200 feet AGL, and an outer limit at 45 NM radius based at 9500 feet AGL. In Canada, the TCA is normally designated as class B, C or D.
In the U.S., the airspace of a TCA is typically designated as class B.
In the U.K., the airspace of a TMA is usually designated as class A, D or E.
In Australia, "terminal airspace" is not used both in common
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
or publication and legislation. However, the traditional structure of terminal airspace is present in Class C and D aerodromes.
See also
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Airway (aviation)
In the United States, airways or air routes are defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in two ways:
"VOR Federal airways and Low/Medium Frequency (L/MF) (Colored) Federal airways"
These are designated routes which aeroplanes f ...
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Control zone
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Flight information region
In aviation, a flight information region (FIR) is a specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service (ALRS) are provided. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) delegates which country is re ...
References
Air traffic control
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