GEN | Biggin Hill (EGKB)¶
ATC Positions¶
| RT Callsign | Position Logon | Controller Identifier | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biggin Information | EGKB_ATIS | ATIS | 135.680 |
| Biggin Tower | EGKB_TWR | ADC | 134.805 |
| Biggin Approach | EGKB_A_APP | APC | 129.405 |
| Thames Director | THAMES_APP | TMS DIR | 132.700 |
| Thames Director | EGLC_APP | LC DIR | 128.025 |
Note
Biggin Hill is not equipped with radar and Biggin Approach can only provide a procedural Approach Control Service (either a Basic Service or a Procedural Service). Biggin Hill is equipped with an Aerodrome Traffic Monitor (ATM) which ADC and APC may use to:
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Determine the landing order, spacing and distance from touchdown of arriving aircraft,
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Assist in applying longitudinal separation for departing aircraft,
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Enable the controller to confirm that the initial track of a departing aircraft conforms with the clearance issued,
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Provide information to aircraft on the position of other aircraft in the circuit or carrying out an instrument approach.
Biggin Hill ATC is not authorised to use the ATM for advanced uses.
Note
TC Thames (comprising TMS DIR, coordination callsign “Thames Director”, and LC DIR, coordination callsign “City Director”) provides an Approach Radar Control Service to Biggin Hill IFR traffic joining/leaving the ATS route network and may, subject to workload, provide a Traffic/Deconfliction Service to Biggin Hill IFR traffic operating outside of controlled airspace including radar vectoring to an instrument approach. Additionally, TMS DIR provides top-down ATC for Biggin Hill in the absence of any Biggin Hill ATC positions. TC Thames operational procedures are documented in the London City & TC Thames vMATS Part 2.
Altimeter Setting Procedures¶
All arriving and departing aircraft will operate on the Biggin QNH, including aircraft intending to remain in the circuit. The Biggin Hill QFE (QNH – 20 hPa) is available on request.
Biggin Hill is situated beneath the London TMA (LTMA), and as such the Transition Altitude is 6000 ft.
The Transition Level (TL) and Minimum Stack Level (MSL) for the LTMA are determined in accordance with the following table:
| Heathrow QNH (hPa) | Transition Level (TL) | Minimum Stack Level (MSL) |
|---|---|---|
| 1050 - 1060 | FL60 | FL70 |
| 1032 - 1049 | FL65 | FL70 |
| 1013 - 1031 | FL70 | FL70 |
| 995 - 1012 | FL75 | FL80 |
| 977 - 994 | FL80 | FL80 |
| 959 - 976 | FL85 | FL90 |
| 940 - 958 | FL90 | FL90 |
Notes
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The classification of 1013 hPa as ‘high pressure’ in the above table differs from MATS Part 1
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To protect against inadvertent descent to an altitude, the MSL shall never be lower than FL70 even during periods of ‘very high pressure’ where FL60 would be separated against 6000 ft.
Biggin Hill is situated within the Chatham Altimeter Setting Region, however, aircraft operating beneath the LTMA shall operate on a local aerodrome QNH and not on a regional pressure setting to reduce the risk of controlled airspace infringement.
Info
From here on, unless otherwise specified, vertical references measured in feet are to be assumed as altitudes AMSL.
Noise Abatement Procedures¶
The following noise abatement procedures apply to IFR departures:
Runway 21: After departure an initial right-hand turn to track 220° followed by a right-hand turn at BIG DME 1.0 to route through the BIG overhead at 2400 ft (max 185 KIAS during the turn) before establishing inbound DET.
Runway 03: An initial climb straight ahead (max 185 KIAS until at or above 2100 ft) followed by a right-hand turn at BIG DME 1.0 to intercept DET radial 275° inbound to DET.
Noise abatement procedures for VFR departures are documented at General – VFR Procedures.
Obstacles¶
The only significant obstacle in the vicinity is Wrotham Mast, sited approximately 10 NM east of Biggin Hill beneath the DET radial 275°/BIG radial 095° and reaching an altitude of 1305 ft.
Runways and Instrument Approach Procedures¶
Runway 21 is preferred when the wind is calm, else the runway is selected to avoid a tailwind component.
A CAT I ILS is available to Runway 21 only (109.35 MHz), along with VOR and LOC approaches. Runway 03 has no associated IAPs, and IFR inbounds for Runway 03 are typically cleared for an approach to Runway 21 followed by a circle-to-land (via left-hand downwind) to Runway 03.
Low Visibility Procedures¶
Biggin is not equipped for CAT II/III operations. However, to safeguard CAT I ILS operations, LVP are enforced when the reported horizontal visibility is less than 1000 metres and is forecast to fall below 500 metres.
During LVP:
- Conditional clearances must not be issued.
- Aircraft must not pass D2 for Runway 21 while landing traffic is within 10 NM from touchdown – this is to safeguard the glideslope antenna. Departing traffic shall hold at D2 until the inbound traffic has either landed or conducted a missed approach.
- Inbound spacing shall be increased to 10 NM (6 NM may be used if there are no departures).
- Landing traffic must have received either a landing clearance or go-around instruction by 2 NM.
VFR Procedures¶
All circuits are conducted to the west of the aerodrome, left hand for Runway 03 and right hand for Runway 21. Circuits for all aircraft types are flown at altitude 1600 ft QNH (height 1000 ft QFE).
VFR arrivals from the East should be instructed to report 3 NM due east of Biggin Hill. Unless otherwise notified, traffic will route via the mid-point of the runway and then turn into the downwind. VFR inbounds will make initial contact with APC, who will then hand aircraft off to ADC when they report 3 NM east.
Radiotelephony
(Initial call) GBRAK, report 3 miles to run, dead side join, runway 21, right hand circuit, QFE 1012, squawk 7047.
Radiotelephony
(At 3 miles) GRUJO, join from the east, contact tower 134.805.
VFR arrivals from the North, West and South shall be routed as necessary into the circuit. No standard routing is associated with these directions.
ADC is responsible for traffic within the visual circuit and operating with visual reference to the aerodrome or transiting the ATZ. The ATZ is established at 2.5 NM radius around the centre of Runway 03/21, up to 2000 ft AAL. APC will coordinate VFR traffic with ADC, which will usually be transferred at 3 NM from the aerodrome, just prior to entering the ATZ.
Note
Although the ATZ is established up to 2000 ft AAL, TC Thames is the controlling authority for the part of the ATZ from 1900 ft AAL to 2000 ft AAL, residing within the LTMA.
VFR departure clearances should be requested from APC at any point from start-up.
Biggin has no associated VRPs.
Local SSR Code Procedures¶
All traffic operating outside of controlled airspace (except IFR inbounds from the ATS route network), in contact with Biggin Hill ATC shall be instructed to squawk code 7047. IFR inbounds from the ATS route network shall retain their existing SSR code to enable TC Thames to identify this traffic in the event of a missed approach.
Traffic operating outside of controlled airspace, in contact with TC Thames will be issued a local Thames SSR code by Thames Director.
IFR traffic joining the ATS route network shall be issued a unique UKCP general code.