Show New System Designed To Aid Aircraft One of the most unique telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone systems in the Rocky Mountain area is serving the Federal Aviation Agency's Air Route Traffic Control Center at North and West in Salt Lake City It was placed in service early this month and is designed to aid in the control of all aircraft both military and civilian on In Instrument in instrument strument flight rule plaIts plaris throughout Utah and part of Nevada Oregon Montana Colorado and Wyoming In order to assure continuous continuous continuous contin contin- communications during adverse conditions special precautions have been taken by the FAA and the Telephone Telephone Telephone Tele Tele- phone Company To guard against bombings the control room has no windows and is reinforced with a shield of concrete designed to protect the heart of the center from radiation The equipment is engineered to withstand the shock of earthquakes or air attacks except for a direct hit Providing complete communications communications communications for the center is a joint operation of the Bell System and the Federal Aviation Aviation Aviation Avia Avia- tion Agency The FAA furnished furnished furnished fur fur- the radio equipment and the Telephone Company the land lines and switching equipment The switching equipment was designed and engineered specifically for the FAA Touch button controls ca capable able of establishing a call callin callin all allin in one-half one second are used to select a circuit instead of the conventional telephone dial The communications system system tem used in fn the control center cen cen- ter is c comparable in size with that needed to serve a community of population according to J. J Winston Alter Al Al- Alter ter Chief Engineer for the Mountain States Telephone Company A crew of from five to 20 telephone technicians were busy for over a year to complete complete com corn the installation Planes requesting flight information in in- information formation use radio facilities to communicate with the control control con con- control center Their calls are received at the center by a flight controller whose prime duty is t to see that accurate information is provided im im- mediately With the speed of modern aircraft a delay in contacting a controller familiar familiar liar with conditions in the vicinity of the plane requesting requesting requesting request request- ing assistance could be fatal To avoid a delay caused by busy lines each of the 62 flight control operator positions positions positions is equipped with an incoming incoming incoming in in- coming call ride over-ride feature This makes it possible for any flight controller to reach any other controller immediately immediately immediately whether he is Is busy or not Flight controllers are able to any ny one of dozens of circuits its by just touching from one ne to three buttons This touch calling system makes an connection connection connection tion with the desired desired line As time is of essence a head set talking instrument is used to eliminate the loss of time needed to lift a receiver Hot lines provide immediate immediate way two voice communications communications with outlying radar stations and other direct control control control con con- centers Lines between the Salt Lake Control Center and other key points contribute contribute contribute contrib contrib- ute to the complete surveillance surveillance lance of aircraft throughout the nation To accommodate normal business telephone usage a conventional dial has been installed for local and long distance calls not directly direct direct- ly associated with the immediate immediate immediate control l of aircraft The combined systems system's consisting consisting consisting con con- of radio communication from aircraft provided by the FAA the Bell System air traffic control equipment and the conventional has this the most complete and unusual communications facility in the Intermountain area |