NZCH - Christchurch

Positions

Position Name	Shortcode	Callsign	Frequency	Login ID	Usage
Christchurch DLV	DCH	Christchurch Delivery	128.200	NZCH_DEL	Secondary
Christchurch SMC	GCH	Christchurch Ground	121.900	NZCH_GND	Secondary
Christchurch TWR	TCH	Christchurch Tower	118.400	NZCH_TWR	Primary
Christchurch TMA	CTMA	Christchurch Approach	126.100	NZCH_APP	Primary

Event Only Positions

Important

The following are designated as Event Only positions, and may only be staffed during a VATNZ event where approved, or if explicitly authorised by the Operations Director.

Position Name	Shortcode	Callsign	Frequency	Login ID	Usage
Christchurch Terminal Radar	CDEP	Christchurch Departures	120.900	NZCH_DEP	Events - Traffic Management

Airspace

The Christchurch CTR/C follows the lateral boundaries as shown below from SFC to A015. The CTR/C comprises of three sectors - the West, Instrument and East Sectors.

Christchurch Control Zone (CTR/C)

Areas of Responsibility

The areas of responsibility are as depicted below.

Christchurch Areas of Responsibility

Notes

The areas marked in orange have special condition-based rules, and can be read about here - GCH Apron and Western Apron.

Transfer of Control Points

Transfer Flow	Requirements	Notes
Delivery -> Ground	Once PDC has been issued either through Voice or DCL	Exceptions for the Western and GCH aprons.
Ground -> Tower	Prior to arriving at their assigned hold, once clear of other traffic.	See conditions for traffic crossing a Rwy and traffic backtracking via Rwy 29.
Tower -> Ground	Once clear of the active Rwy.	Tower may taxi aircraft vacating via A4 to A4 Hold 1 without coordination.
Tower -> Approach	Once airborne, for airline traffic.	VFR aircraft can expect to be handed over after vacating the zone
Approach -> Tower	Once established on an ILS approach, or at the IAF on an RNP approach

Control Positions

Clearance Delivery

Clearances shall be issued by the Delivery position, and may given via DCL or voice.

When applicable, Delivery may issue taxi instructions in line with the GCH Special Conditions or Western Apron Special Conditions.

Ground

Pushback

Pushback and startup clearances are managed by the Ground Controller. Due to the single taxiway at NZCH, the Controller shall ensure that pushbacks are carefully timed to allow for aircraft to taxi to both the runway and stands.

Starting on Stand at the Terminal

Christchurch utilises W/E stands to allow for Props to park into the wind. Aircraft utilising these stands do not require a push-back, and may start on stand.

Stands / Gates	Usage	Has a W/E stand?	Pushback required?	Pushback Location	Notes
3 and 4	Cat B Props	Yes, only	No	N/A	Designed for C208 or PC12 type aircraft
5 to 8	Turboprops	Yes	No	N/A	Only W/E
9, 11, 12, 13, 15	Turboprops	Yes	No	N/A	Both Nose-in, and W/E
10, 14	Turboprops	No	No	Twy F
16	Turboprops and Jets	No	No	Twy F
17 to 22	Turboprops and Jets	No	Yes	Twy A	Jets, but can be used for turboprops, straight push to allow multiple pushbacks on A
26 to 28	Jets	No	Yes	Twy A	If RWY 02 is active, Stand 28 shall be pushed clear of A4
29 to 35	Jets	No	Yes	Twy A15	International Stands

Taxiing

Dakota Apron

Dakota Apron is used exclusively by Parcel Air (APK), Airwork (AWK) and Texel Air (XLR). Aircraft utilising this apron may be instructed to start at their discretion and report for taxi.

When ready for taxi, aircraft taxiing from the Dakota Apron may be instructed to cross Runway 29 and taxi via F, or may be given a backtrack via Runway 29. A backtrack via Runway 29 is usually preferred, as it allows the Domestic ramp to continue to flow.

Post Apron

The Post Apron is on the northern side of A4, and is used by DHL, Qantas Freight and other freight traffic. Aircraft utilising this apron may be instructed to start at their discretion.

Romeo Apron

The Romeo Apron is a transitional apron, and is commonly used by aircraft arriving at the aerodrome without a contracted parking location, or for overflow or long-term parking.

Info

Aircraft utilising Stands R1A, R1B, and R3A stands may start on stand. Aircraft utilising Stands R1, R2 or R3 must be pushed onto A15.

Antarctic Apron

The Antarctic Apron is used for all military traffic, but may also be used for larger private traffic. Stands are not issued on this apron, and aircraft may start on stand.

West of RWY 02/20

Aircraft operating within the bounds of the Western Apron shall be controlled in line with the Western Apron special conditions.

Use of RWY 11/29 as a Taxiway

When RWY 11/29 is not in use Tower may delegate the use of RWY 29, south of the RWY 02/20 intersection, to Ground as a taxiway.

Traffic crossing intersecting Runway

When delegated RWY 29, the Ground Controller may authorise the aircraft to cross RWY 29 without seeking permission, or transferring that aircraft to Tower.

When Runway 11/29 is in use

The Ground Controller shall not assume crossing authority for the intersecting runway when Runway 11/29 is in use.

RTF for crossing a Runway

Christchurch Ground: "ANZ218, taxi holding point A6, Runway 02, via A. Cross Runway 29"

Backtrack via Rwy 29

When delegated RWY 29, aircraft taxiing to or from the Dakota apron may be instructed to backtrack via RWY 29, avoiding taxiway F. Domestic prop traffic taxiing to or from the Domestic apron may also be instructed to backtrack via RWY 29 in order to avoid congestion on taxiway F.

Use of Holding Points

Departures may occur from any intersection, providing that it does not interfere with the use of normal exits.

RWY 02

When Runway 02 is in use, domestic jet traffic shall be issued A6, and international traffic issued A7. Domestic jet traffic may be re-issued A7 if requested from the Pilot.

Departing prop traffic is usually able to take a mid-field departure via A5 or RWY 29. Arriving prop traffic will usually vacate via A5, so traffic may be instructed to hold short of RWY 02/20 on RWY 29, provided that Tower has delegated the use of Runway 29 to Ground.

RWY 20

When Runway 20 is in use, domestic jet traffic shall be issued A3, and international traffic issued A2. Domestic jet traffic may be re-issued A2 if requested by the Pilot.

Departing prop traffic shall be issued A4, but may be re-issued A3 if required for performance.

High Performance Aircraft

High performance aircraft, such as private jets or King Airs, may be issued any holding point, provided that it does not interfere with landing traffic. If a high performance aircraft is using a usual vacate route, any aircraft on approach shall be notified and instructed to roll out to the next runway vacate point.

Tower

In normal operation, RWY 02/20 shall be used. The use of RWY 11/29 is detailed in the special conditions section

The Tower shall ensure that all VFR traffic within the Christchurch CTR/C does not conflict with any IFR operations. IFR operations shall take precedence over VFR.

Unless established within the aerodrome circuit, Tower must ensure that no VFR aircraft are present within the Instrument Sector when an aircraft is either turning onto, or established on an approach. VFR aircraft are not authorised to operate under any approach path, or within 3nm laterally of the approach path.

When RWY 02/20 is in use, aircraft that have been cleared to operate within the West or East sectors are deemed to be separated from IFR arrivals on the ILS or RNP Z approaches, but not from RNP (AR) approaches. When RWY 11/29 is in use, VFR aircraft shall not be authorised to operate within the West, East or Instrument sectors.

Simultaneous use of Grass and Sealed 02/20

The simultaneous use of Grass and Sealed 02/20 is authorised, except that:

• Aircraft in the grass circuit must be informed of the arriving sealed traffic, and instructed to remain clear of the sealed runway.
• Aircraft on approach for the sealed runway must be informed of the grass traffic.
• When an aircraft using the sealed is under A010, no grass traffic shall be authorised to turn base leg, and must be instructed to hold in the downwind until the sealed traffic has landed.
• There shall be no simultaneous use of the grass and sealed when sealed traffic is departing. In this case, grass traffic shall be instructed to hold in the downwind.

Departures

Aircraft departures shall be managed in-line with the Runway Operations section

For the purposes of arrival and departure management, all Christchurch departures shall be treated as divergent - providing that the aircraft on approach is at the same, or lower approach category.

SID Assignment

There are no discrete prop or jet SIDs at Christchurch, and the Controller shall issue the departure suggested by the Controller Client.

Assigned Headings for PEDMI departures

Where multiple departures have been assigned the PEDMI #Q SID, the Tower Controller may, with coordination with CH TMA, instruct the aircraft to fly a heading of 160°M and climb to A050.

Where a prop and jet have both been assigned the PEDMI #Q, the jet shall be issued the assigned heading due to its capability to climb faster above the city.

RTF and coordination for Assigned Heading departure

CH TWR -> CH TMA: "Successive PEDMI departures. Request ANZ631 assigned heading 160°M climbing five thousand then yours for vectors. Second in queue."
CH TMR -> CH TWR: "ANZ631 approved heading 160 climbing five thousand then my vectors. Copy second in line."

Christchurch Tower: "ANZ631, additional departure instructions, report ready to copy"
ANZ631: "ANZ631, ready to copy"
Christchurch Tower: "ANZ631, on departure turn left heading 160, climb five thousand."
ANZ631: "On departure turn left heading 160, climbing five thousand. ANZ631."

Manually assigned heading of 160°M, climbing to A050. Visualisation in LittleNavMap and accurate as of AIRAC 2304.

Special Requirements

Code F

ICAO has classified the B747-800 and A-380 aircraft as code F aircraft (wingspan from 65 to 80 meters and a width of the main fuselage from 14 to 16 meters)

Special rules apply to Code F aircraft, such as taxiway and gate restrictions.

Code F Information

Code F aircraft may only use Stand 30. For taxi Code F aircraft must use TWY A and shall be given full length either A2 or A7.

Use of RWY 11/29 as the Duty RWY

During the use of RWY 11/29 as the duty runway controllers shall note that the only instrument approaches are the RNP RWY 11 and the RNP Y RWY 29 (AR). Therefore the nominated approach shall be RNP, Visual approaches may still be used.

Tower may release RWY 02/20 to GND.

All aircraft shall use full length unless requested otherwise.

Western Apron

When RWY 02/20 is in use, aircraft shall call Delivery for clearance and Ground for start and taxi. When RWY 11/29 is in use, aircraft shall call Delivery for clearance, start and taxi.

When RWY 11/29 is in use, aircraft shall contact Ground when vacating the runway. When RWY 02/20 is in use, aircraft shall remain on Tower when vacating the runway.

Holding Points

When RWY 02/20 is in use, aircraft shall be issued taxi clearance to Hold 1 E and handed over to Tower. Tower shall then issue taxi clearance to D for Grass 20, Hold 3 E for sealed RWY 02/20, or when traffic permits depart them off Grass 02.

Aircraft departing RWY 11 shall be issued taxi clearance to either E1 or E2 before being handed to Tower. For aircraft departing RWY29, the same rules shall apply as using sealed RWY 02/20.

GCH Apron (Garden City Helicopters)

Fixed wing aircraft on the GCH Apron shall call Delivery for clearance and then Ground for start and taxi. However when RWY 02 is in use, Delivery shall issue taxi instructions and hand aircraft to Tower, given the short taxi required. Controllers shall note that the GCH Apron is within the manouvering area.

Helicopters departing from the GCH Apron shall call Tower prior to lift off for clearance. Tower shall issue the Copter North/South/West Departure depending on the requested direction of travel, an issue of the clearance implies take off clearance. Therefore, should the helicopter need to hold on the ground, a instruction to "Hold on the ground" shall be issued until a time at which a departure can be facilitated.

VFR Procedures

Controllers should issue one of the published VFR Departures as stated on the VFR Departure Procedures RWY 02/20 and the VFR Departure Procedures RWY 29 charts. Where a misunderstanding may occur, or in low levels of traffic, more plain langauge clearances may be issued.