IDAC Air Traffic Controller (CTA) study plan
IDAC Air Traffic Controller (CTA) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Air Law and Regulatory Framework (ICAO Annexes, IDAC regulations, national civil aviation law) & Air Traffic Management (ATC services, flight rules, separation, ATS airspace, clearances)
Map every ICAO Annex referenced in the CTA syllabus to its core subject and list the corresponding IDAC national regulation for each
Explain the hierarchy between national civil aviation law, IDAC regulations, and ICAO Annexes using three concrete examples of where national rules differ or add requirements
Define the ATS airspace classes used in the national airspace structure and state the services and separation provided in each
Distinguish controlled, uncontrolled, and advisory airspace and identify which flight rules apply in each
Your checkpoint
A one-page airspace and regulatory reference sheet (classes, services, separation minima, governing document per item) written from memory and checked against source texts
Air Traffic Management (ATC services, flight rules, separation, ATS airspace, clearances)
Apply the separation minima for controlled flights (vertical, lateral, longitudinal, radar) to at least 10 worked scenarios
Construct clearances that contain all required elements for departure, en-route, approach, and landing phases
Resolve five conflict scenarios by choosing the correct separation standard and issuing the sequence of instructions
Explain how flight rules (IFR, VFR, special VFR) change controller responsibility and clearance content
Your checkpoint
A worked answer set of 10 separation and clearance scenarios with the standard cited for each decision
Air Traffic Management (ATC services, flight rules, separation, ATS airspace, clearances) & Communications (radiotelephony phraseology, ATS data link, frequency management)
Deliver the full standard radiotelephony phraseology set for ground, tower, approach, and area control in spoken practice
Read back and verify clearances correctly in 20 scripted exchanges, catching deliberately planted errors
State the priority and distress/urgency phraseology and the correct controller response sequence
Explain frequency management, transfer of control, and coordination points between adjacent units
Your checkpoint
A recorded 10-minute simulated radiotelephony session (or written transcript) covering at least 15 exchanges, self-scored against the phraseology standard
Meteorology (weather phenomena, METAR/TAF, altimetry, hazardous weather) & Navigation (charts, position reporting, radio navigation aids, GNSS)
Decode METAR and TAF reports, including trend groups, and state the operational significance of each element
Compute pressure altitude, density altitude, and true altitude from given QNH, temperature, and elevation values
Identify hazardous weather phenomena (wind shear, icing, thunderstorms, microbursts) and state the controller action for each
Interpret en-route and instrument approach chart symbology, including minima, procedure turns, and radio navigation aids
Explain GNSS-based navigation and its limitations relevant to surveillance and approach operations
Your checkpoint
A closed-book exercise set of 15 items (5 METAR/TAF decodes, 5 altimetry calculations, 5 chart interpretations) scored at 80% or better
Aircraft and Principles of Flight (performance, wake turbulence, categories) & Equipment and Systems (radar, surveillance, automation, ATC displays, contingency procedures)
Classify aircraft into wake turbulence categories and apply the correct separation minima for each leader-follower pair
Explain how aircraft performance (climb rate, speed, approach category) affects sequencing and separation decisions
Describe the operating principles and limitations of primary and secondary radar, including coverage gaps and transponder modes
Identify what a controller must verify on the surveillance display before relying on a radar-derived separation
State the contingency procedures when radar, communications, or automation fails
Your checkpoint
A two-page summary table of wake turbulence separation minima plus a written failure-mode checklist for radar and communications loss
Operational Procedures and Emergency Handling (contingencies, SAR, unusual situations, coordination) & Equipment and Systems (radar, surveillance, automation, ATC displays, contingency procedures)
Apply the correct sequence of actions for aircraft emergencies: radio failure, engine failure, medical emergency, unlawful interference, and overdue aircraft
Describe the phases of emergency (uncertainty, alert, distress) and the coordination required with SAR services at each phase
Explain the controller's role in an incident/accident response, including notification, preservation of records, and handover
Write the coordination messages a controller would issue to adjacent units and supervisors during a diversion
Your checkpoint
A written emergency response playbook covering five emergency types, each with an ordered action list and the coordination messages required
Human Factors and Safety Management (situational awareness, fatigue, teamwork, SMS, just culture) & Communications (radiotelephony phraseology, ATS data link, frequency management)
Identify situational awareness breakdowns in three written incident scenarios and state the intervention that would have prevented them
Explain fatigue causes and countermeasures, and describe how roster design and workload affect controller performance
Describe the components of a safety management system and the difference between a just culture and a blame culture
Explain how teamwork, briefing, and closed-loop communication reduce error in a controller team
Your checkpoint
A written analysis of three incident scenarios identifying the human factors involved and the SMS or procedural fix for each
Air Law and Regulatory Framework (ICAO Annexes, IDAC regulations, national civil aviation law) & Air Traffic Management (ATC services, flight rules, separation, ATS airspace, clearances) & Meteorology (weather phenomena, METAR/TAF, altimetry, hazardous weather) & Navigation (charts, position reporting, radio navigation aids, GNSS) & Aircraft and Principles of Flight (performance, wake turbulence, categories) & Communications (radiotelephony phraseology, ATS data link, frequency management) & Human Factors and Safety Management (situational awareness, fatigue, teamwork, SMS, just culture) & Equipment and Systems (radar, surveillance, automation, ATC displays, contingency procedures) & Operational Procedures and Emergency Handling (contingencies, SAR, unusual situations, coordination)
Complete a full timed mock examination under exam conditions and record the score per domain
Review every missed item and write the underlying rule or fact in your own words
Re-drill the two weakest domains with targeted practice until each reaches 80% or better
Recite the key reference figures (separation minima, wake categories, altimetry formulas, emergency phases) from memory
Your checkpoint
A timed mock exam score sheet by domain plus a one-page personal weak-point list with the corrective action for each item
Milestones
Week 2: Can state and apply the separation minima and build a complete clearance for all four flight phases without notes, scoring 80% or better on 10 scenarios
Week 4: Scores 80% or better on the closed-book METAR/TAF, altimetry, and chart exercise set; can compute density altitude correctly in under two minutes
Week 6: Can recite the ordered emergency action sequence and the SAR notification phases from memory, and the written playbook covers all five emergency types
Week 8: Timed mock exam completed with a recorded per-domain score; every domain at 75% or better and the two weakest domains re-drilled to 80% or better