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What is vectoring in Air Traffic Control?
February 5th, 2010 | 
Author: I am reading an air traffic flow management manual and it says:
There are 4 methods to achieve the necessary flow management:
1)speed control
2)vectoring
3)orbits and holding
I don’t understand what vectoring and orbits exactly mean…
Could someone please help?
Vectoring is when ATC will tell you where to go. For example turn right to heading 270, or turn left 180 etc.
Orbiting is when ATC assigns you either a NAVAID or a landmark so you can fly a holding pattern around it. Most holding patterns are anchored at either a VOR or NDB.
Speed control is to speed up one aircraft so you create a greater clerance between them.
Posted in get traffic
Vectoring is when ATC will tell you where to go. For example turn right to heading 270, or turn left 180 etc.
Orbiting is when ATC assigns you either a NAVAID or a landmark so you can fly a holding pattern around it. Most holding patterns are anchored at either a VOR or NDB.
Speed control is to speed up one aircraft so you create a greater clerance between them.
References :
Vectoring means giving heading directions to an aircraft when it is approaching an airport. My uncle is an ATC and i have seen him do this several times.
References :
Vector:
A heading provided by air traffic control to provide navigational guidance by radar.
Victor Airways:
Airways based on VOR navigation aids. Depicted by blue lines on aeronautical charts and identified by a V (Victor) followed by the airway number.
ORBIT:
Generally a 20 degree bank angle 360 degree turn.
References :
http://www.firstflight.com
Vectoring is like "Cessna 350PX, turn right to a heading of 255, climb and maintain 6000 feet." The turning to a heading of 255 is considered a radar vector. It more less means directing traffic without the use of radio navigation.
References :
I’m a pilot
Vectoring is what ATC does to us when we are way behind schedule and the boss is real pissed off that he is already running late. When we are dead heading with no passengers onboard, we never get vectored.
References :
Aircraft vectoring is the act of sorting out and sequencing departing and arriving aircraft by air traffic control at a major airport while maintaining separation at the same time
References :
AA Pilot
Aircraft vectoring is the act of sorting out and sequencing departing and arriving aircraft by air traffic control at a major airport while maintaining separation at the same time
AA Pilot
References :
daniel v is me but i cant log in for some reason
John B got it right…….. In a hurry to Reagan or other D.C airports get in line if you are 91 or 135. Your get a great view of the city for thirty min.
References :
When the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) guides you to a specified vector (bearing in relation to a landing aid) then he is vectoring you. Consequently, vectoring means maintaining a set heading on a specified vector.
Orbits are ‘rated turns’ within the controlled airspace and invariably on top of a landing aid/beacon. These orbits are used to change your headings by 180 degrees so that you stay within the holding pattern as speciified by each airport.
References :
In terms of flow management, or better known as "flow control", Speed control and vectoring is mainly handled in the en route environment.
Spacing and sequencing to major airports usually starts hundreds of miles away. For example, the line to JFK over the LENDY5 arrival, I have seen flow control measures taken as far away as Western Iowa, and have heard of it going back even further.
So now we’re (at Chicago Center) told we now need 30 miles in trail for each aircraft going to JFK. We normally know of this well in advance and spacing is usually accomplished through the use of restricted departure times, (EDCT’s) and even more restrictive in-trail restrictions to preceeding artcc’s. But there always tend to be a few aircraft that need to be moved around one way or the other to meet that in-trail restricrion. The easiest way to do this is to assign speeds that will help you gain mileage or tighten it up. But remember each hundredth of a mach number at the same altitude is roughly 7 knots. Simple math will tell you it’s going to take awhile to gain additional of spacing.
Here’s where vectoring comes in. Taking the winds and other factors into account, (like sector limitations and boundaries) turning an aircraft off-course naturally adds additional spacing in a much quicker fashion. Used in combination with speed control, it’s a very useful tool. Sometimes the turns get pretty severe, 30 degrees or more, but the greater the vector, the quicker the aircraft gets back on course.
A last resort in the en route environment is taking an aircraft, "around the block" to achieve the necesary spacing. Either by issuing a 360 degree turn, or issuing holding instructions. Holding instructions are almost exclusively used when a receiving facility cannot accept any aircraft to a particular destination due to weather, volume, etc.
There’s ALOT more to flow control than what I’ve mentioned here. I just thought to cover the basics of your question. Please pardon any typos and the brevity of my answer.
References :
Myself, Chicago ARTCC air traffic controller