ADC | Cambridge (EGSC)¶
Taxiway Restrictions¶
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 21 m or a maximum authorised weight of 12 tonnes are not permitted to taxi on Alpha between the Charlie/Alpha intersection and the Bravo/Alpha intersection.
Grass taxiways Lima, November, Juliet, Uniform and Victor are only to be used upon request of grass taxiways being required by the pilot.
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 45 m are not permitted on Taxiways Alpha, Bravo or Charlie unless under tow. Additionally, aircraft with a wingspan greater than 45 m are not permitted beyond the compass base on Charlie.
At night, all aircraft above 2.7 tonnes and visiting general aviation aircraft are to vacate Runway 05/23 via Taxiway Charlie, as there is no active taxiway lighting system on Alpha or Bravo.
Taxiway E is limited to aircraft up to a wingspan of 24 m (except C130s going to Hangar 2 or 16).
Parking Stands¶
Parking at Cambridge consists of numbered/named aprons, the Grass Parking Area and numbered ‘Spots’ located on the Customs Apron/off Taxiway Charlie.
Note
Spots 1 to 3 are nose in positions that run west to east along the northern edge of the Customs Apron facing the FBO. Spots 4 and 5 are located on the eastern edge of the Customs Apron facing towards the GA Centre/FBO (it is depicted as an extension of Taxiway Echo towards Alpha on the UK AIP Aircraft Parking/Docking Chart).
In practice, it may be more useful for controllers to specify "Customs Apron" and allow pilots to self-position.
Light aircraft are to park on the Grass Parking Area or Apron 2.
Business Jets/Turboprops with a wingspan of:
- less than 25 m can park at spots 1/2/3.
- less than 45 m can park at spot 4, the Eastern Apron and Apron 17 – large aircraft parking at the Eastern Apron will obstruct Taxiway Alpha and require the use of Bravo to line-up/vacate the runway.
Note
When spot 4 is used by an aircraft larger than a GLEX, spot 5 is infringed. As such, larger aircraft may be instructed to park on spot 4/5.
All aircraft with a wingspan greater than 45 m are to park on Apron 17.
C130 movements to/from Marshall Aerospace and Defence are to park on Aprons 2, 12 or 16.
Helicopter Landing Areas¶
Cambridge has four helicopter landing areas, H3, H4, H5 and H6, depicted on the 
aerodrome chart. Helicopter traffic shall normally depart from the runways; however, pilots familiar with the aerodrome may request departure directly from the pad which may be approved at the discretion of ADC.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance also has a helipad (marked EAAA on the aerodrome chart) that may be used for departures at the discretion of ADC.
The phrases "lift" and "set down" shall be used in place of take-off and landing with aircraft operating on any of the helipads.
Helicopters may request to operate from/to Addenbrooke’s Hospital (situated on the southern edge of the ATZ) and the Quy Mill Hotel (located west of the 23 threshold).
IFR Departure Clearances¶
Cambridge is located outside of controlled airspace and therefore there are no SIDs. IFR flights joining the ATS route network are expected to file via the following initial routes:
| To | Via | Onward Routes | ATS route network Join Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| East/South-East & London TMA |
ADNAM | L6, L9, L10, L608, L620, M189 | Stansted FIN 136.200 |
| South/West/North | EBOTO | N57, N601, N859, Q63, T420, Y321 | TC Luton (INT) 129.550 |
When an IFR departure requests start-up, ADC shall coordinate with RAD, who shall then pre-note (via text coordination) the appropriate ATS route network join sector. RAD will pass the UKCP generated SSR code, along with after departure instructions, to ADC, who will then pass them to the aircraft.
RAD shall provide a standard clearance in accordance with the following:
| Runway | Via | Lateral Clearance | Vertical Clearance | Next Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | ADNAM | Right turn on track ADNAM | Climb to altitude 3000 ft (EGSS QNH) | Stansted Director136.200 |
| EBOTO | Left turn on track EBOTO, or an appropriate radar heading |
Climb to altitude 6000 ft | Cambridge Radar120.965 |
|
| 23 | ADNAM | Left turn on track ADNAM | Climb to altitude 3000 ft (EGSS QNH) | Stansted Director136.200 |
| EBOTO | Climb straight ahead to altitude 2000 ft, then turn right on track EBOTO, or an appropriate radar heading |
Climb to altitude 6000 ft | Cambridge Radar120.965 |
|
| BKY (EGSS) see Note |
Climb straight ahead to altitude 2300 ft, then turn left on track BKY | Climb to altitude 3000 ft (EGSS QNH) | Stansted Director 136.200 |
|
Note
Stansted Director may issue this as an unpublished ‘standard’ clearance to EGSS. Otherwise, it should not be given.
All after departure instructions are to include an instruction to "remain outside controlled airspace" and should include the next frequency to contact when instructed.
Radiotelephony
GSDRY, hold position. After departure turn right direct ADNAM, climb to altitude 3000 ft. Remain outside controlled airspace. Squawk 3617. When instructed contact Stansted Director 136.200.
IFR departures intending to remain outside of controlled airspace only require after departure instructions from APC and shall be allocated a Cambridge local SSR code. After departure instructions shall be requested when start-up is requested.
Departure Releases¶
All IFR departures require a release from APC. APC may issue amended after departure instructions with the release.
ADC shall prenote any IFR flights joining controlled airspace at ADNAM to Stansted FIN on start-up, and request a release from Cambridge APC, who will coordinate a release (usually valid for 10 minutes) with Stansted FIN.
IFR flights joining controlled airspace at EBOTO shall be pre-noted by APC to Luton INT prior to issuing a release.
It is the responsibility of RAD to provide releases for IFR traffic that ensure separation between departing aircraft and other traffic (see APC – Outbound Procedures). In the absence of a controller providing radar services, aircraft may depart with a 2-minute departure interval, reduced to 1-minute when the initial route diverges by 45° or greater.
Wake turbulence separation is to be applied in accordance with MATS Part 1 (CAP 493).
Departure Hand-off Order¶
All departures, except ADNAM departures, are to be transferred to RAD/APP once aerodrome conflictions are resolved, unless otherwise notified by APC.
ADNAM departures are to be transferred directly to Stansted FIN (136.200) callsign "Stansted Director" or (when bandboxed) Stansted INT (120.625) callsign "Stansted Radar".
VATSIMism
As Stansted INT covers Cambridge top-down, in the absence of Cambridge APC or Stansted FIN, all IFR departures are to be transferred to Stansted INT. In the absence of Stansted INT, departures should be transferred in accordance with the following sequence:
| Coordination Name | Position Logon | Controller Identifier | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| TC North East | LTC_NE_CTR | TCNE | 118.825 |
| TC North | LTC_N_CTR | TCN | 119.780 |
| TC Bandbox | LTC_CTR | TC | 135.805 |
| TC East | LTC_E_CTR | TCE | 121.230 |
| AC Clacton | LON_E_CTR | LE | 118.480 |
| AC Central | LON_C_CTR | LC | 127.105 |
| AC South Central | LON_SC_CTR | LSC | 132.605 |
| AC Bandbox | LON_CTR | L | 127.830 |
The radiotelephony callsign is "London Control" for all the above Area/Terminal Control positions.
In the absence of any of the above positions, EBOTO departures only are to be transferred to Luton INT (129.550) callsign "Luton Radar".