Air traffic team keeps sky safe Published Feb. 27, 2003 By Senior Airman Amanda Mills 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (AFPN) -- Most people can see the daily air traffic at any air base, but they do not see the driving forces that keep the aircraft from having midair collisions.At one forward-deployed location, that behind-the-scenes action is a dual effort by the 321st Operations Group's radar approach control and air traffic control sections.The radar approach control, or RAPCON, and air traffic control teams work together to bring the aircraft in and get them out safely, while ensuring the sky and runways are clear."The RAPCON controls a 60-mile radius of airspace over and around the base, closely monitoring a plane's location and runway intent," said Staff Sgt. Raymond Twofeathers, chief RAPCON controller. "At 20 miles out, we update the tower on the craft's location. Then at five miles out as the craft is preparing to land, we turn it over to the tower."The air traffic control team in the tower takes over at that point."The tower is in charge of vehicle movement on the airfield and clearing each plane to land," said Staff Sgt. William Bach, a tower controller. "We also work with (the base operations section) to confirm pilots' flight plans and with the weather shop to transmit weather information to them."Although most of the pilots that airmen encounter are American, there are times where the controllers assist with host-nation pilots, which can sometimes be a challenge."My job is ensuring pilots take off and land safely," said Senior Airman Sean Bell, a tower controller. "But when I can't completely understand them, and they can't understand me, it complicates things. I have to be certain that I can give clear instructions and that they understand those instructions.""There's also a difference in the host nation and American 'phraseology,'" Twofeathers said. "They use different words to relay the same procedures, so we have to take a little extra time when we arrive to relearn non-(Federal Aviation Agency) wording."With the challenges of every profession, however, there are also benefits."I've always enjoyed just being around planes," Bell said. "Now I get to watch and work with the control of them every day, and it's a good feeling to know I'm getting them through the sky safely."Through it all, ATC and RAPCON teams maintain a strong relationship."We all have camaraderie; we're all working toward the same mission," Twofeathers said. "(The tower) clears the planes to land, and I get them out and bring them in."The RAPCON and ATC are two pieces of the same puzzle; one simply cannot function and 'finish the picture' without the other," he added.