Air Traffic Control in the USA – IELTS Reading Answers

Kasturika Samanta

12 min read

Updated On Nov 06, 2023

Reading Passage
Answers of Air Traffic Control in the USA Reading Answers with Location and Explanation
Tips to Solve the Question Types in Air Traffic Control in the USA Reading Answers
Also Check

Limited-Time Offer : Access a FREE 10-Day IELTS Study Plan!

Since IELTS Reading is considered the second easiest module of the exam after Listening, solve and review the Reading Answers of Air Traffic Control in the USA and similar passages to ensure that your reading skills are up to the mark.

The Academic passage, Air Traffic Control in the USA, is a reading passage that is part of the IELTS Cambridge 8 Test 1. Since questions get repeated in the IELTS exam, these passages are ideal for practice. If you want more practice, try taking an IELTS reading practice test.

There are 13 questions in IELTS Reading Answers of Air Traffic Control in the USA, which showcase two different IELTS Reading question types. They are:

Matching Headings (Q. 1-6)
True/False/Not Given (Q. 7-13)

Want to discuss your IELTS queries with the best experts for FREE?

All you have to do is book your session now!

Reading Passage

You should spend 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Air Traffic Control in the USA

A An accident that occurred in the skies over the Grand Canyon in 1956 resulted in the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to regulate and oversee the operation of aircraft in the skies over the United States, which were becoming quite congested. The resulting structure of air traffic control has greatly increased the safety of flight in the United States, and similar air traffic control procedures are also in place over much of the rest of the world.

B Rudimentary air traffic control (ATC) existed well before the Grand Canyon disaster. As early as the 1920s, the earliest air traffic controllers manually guided aircraft in the vicinity of the airports, using lights and flags, while beacons and flashing lights were placed along cross-country routes to establish the earliest airways. However, this purely visual system was useless in bad weather, and, by the 1930s, radio communication was coming into use for ATC. The first region to have something approximating today’s ATC was New York City, with other major metropolitan areas following soon after.

C In the 1940s, ATC centres could and did take advantage of the newly developed radar and improved radio communication brought about by the Second World War, but the system remained rudimentary. It was only after the creation of the FAA that full-scale regulation of America’s airspace took place, and this was fortuitous, for the advent of the jet engine suddenly resulted in a large number of very fast planes, reducing pilots’ margin of error and practically demanding some set of rules to keep everyone well separated and operating safely in the air.

D Many people think that ATC consists of a row of controllers sitting in front of their radar screens at the nation’s airports, telling arriving and departing traffic what to do. This is a very incomplete part of the picture. The FAA realised that the airspace over the United States would at any time have many different kinds of planes, flying for many different purposes, in a variety of weather conditions, and the same kind of structure was needed to accommodate all of them.

E To meet this challenge, the following elements were put into effect. First, ATC extends over virtually the entire United States. In general, from 365m above the ground and higher, the entire country is blanketed by controlled airspace. In certain areas, mainly near airports, controlled airspace extends down to 215m above the ground, and, in the immediate vicinity of an airport, all the way down to the surface. Controlled airspace is that airspace in which FAA regulations apply. Elsewhere, in uncontrolled airspace, pilots are bound by fewer regulations. In this way, the recreational pilot who simply wishes to go flying for a while without all the restrictions imposed by the FAA has only to stay in uncontrolled airspace, below 365m, while the pilot who does want the protection afforded by ATC can easily enter the controlled airspace.

F The FAA then recognised two types of operating environments. In good meteorological conditions, flying would be permitted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), which suggests a strong reliance on visual cues to maintain an acceptable level of safety. Poor visibility necessitated a set of Instrumental Flight Rules (IFR), under which the pilot relied on altitude and navigational information provided by the plane’s instrument panel to fly safely. On a clear day, a pilot in controlled airspace can choose a VFR or IFR flight plan, and the FAA regulations were devised in a way which accommodates both VFR and IFR operations in the same airspace. However, a pilot can only choose to fly IFR if they possess an instrument rating which is above and beyond the basic pilot’s license that must also be held.

G Controlled airspace is divided into several different types, designated by letters of the alphabet. Uncontrolled airspace is designated Class F, while controlled airspace below 5,490m above sea level and not in the vicinity of an airport is Class E. All airspace above 5,490m is designated Class A. The reason for the division of Class E and Class A airspace stems from the type of planes operating in them. Generally, Class E airspace is where one finds general aviation aircraft (few of which can climb above 5,490m anyway), and commercial turboprop aircraft. Above 5,490m is the realm of the heavy jets, since jet engines operate more efficiently at higher altitudes. The difference between Class E and A airspace is that in Class A, all operations are IFR, and pilots must be instrument-rated, that is, skilled and licensed in aircraft instrumentation. This is because ATC control of the entire space is essential. Three other types of airspace, Classes D, C and B, govern the vicinity of airports. These correspond roughly to small municipal, medium-sized metropolitan and major metropolitan airports respectively, and encompass an increasingly rigorous set of regulations. For example, all a VFR pilot has to do to enter Class C airspace is establish two-way radio contact with ATC. No explicit permission from ATC to enter is needed, although the pilot must continue to obey all regulations governing VFR flight. To enter Class B airspace, such as on approach to a major metropolitan airport, an explicit ATC clearance is required. The private pilot who cruises without permission into this airspace risks losing their license.

Check Out – IELTS Test Day Advice

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A and C-G from the list below.

Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

Example	Answer
Paragraph B	x

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph C

3 Paragraph D

4 Paragraph E

5 Paragraph F

6 Paragraph G

List of Headings:

i. Disobeying FAA Regulations

ii. Aviation disaster prompts action

iii. Two coincidental developments

iv. Setting Altitude Zones

v. An oversimplified view

vi. Controlling pilots’ license

vii. Defining airspace categories

viii. Setting rules to weather conditions

ix. Taking of Safety

x. First step towards ATC

Questions 7-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

In boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

7 The FAA was created as a result of the introduction of the jet engine.

8 Air Traffic Control started after the Grand Canyon crash in 1956.

9 Beacons and flashing lights are still used by ATC today.

10 Some improvements were made in radio communication during World War II.

11 Class F airspace is airspace which is below 365m and not near airports.

12 All aircraft in Class E airspace must use IFR.

13 A pilot entering Class C airspace is flying over an average-sized city.

Do you have a book with everything from tips, strategies to Practice Tests for IELTS Academic Reading?

Check out the IELTS Reading Academic Test Guide!

Answers of Air Traffic Control in the USA Reading Answers with Location and Explanation

1 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph A, Line 1

Answer explanation: The first sentence of the introductory paragraph claims – “An accident that occurred in the skies over the Grand Canyon in 1956 resulted in the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to regulate and oversee the operation of aircraft in the skies over the United States, which were becoming quite congested.”. It refers to the fact that an aviation disaster (accident that occurred in the skies) led to the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration, which was a prompt action. Hence, the answer is ii (Aviation disaster prompts action).

2 Answer: iii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph C, Line 2

Answer explanation: In the third paragraph, it is noted that “It was only after the creation of the FAA that full-scale regulation of America’s airspace took place, and this was fortuitous, for the advent of the jet engine suddenly resulted in a large number of very fast planes, reducing pilots’ margin of error and practically demanding some set of rules to keep everyone well separated and operating safely in the air.”. It can be pointed out that with the establishment of the FAA, the number of fast planes increased and the pilot’s errors were also reduced (two coincidental developments). Hence, the answer is iii (Two coincidental developments).

3 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph D, Line 1 – Line 2

Answer explanation: In the mentioned paragraph, it is stated that “Many people think that ATC consists of a row of controllers sitting in front of their radar screens at the nation’s airports, telling arriving and departing traffic what to do. This is a very incomplete part of the picture.”. From the given reference, it can be said that most people believe that the work of ATC is only to sit in front of the radar screens and tell the arriving and departing traffic what to do, which is a oversimpliefied view. Hence, the answer is v (An oversimplified view).

4 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph E, Line 3 – Line 4

Answer explanation: In the specified paragraph, it is reported that “In general, from 365m above the ground and higher, the entire country is blanketed by controlled airspace. In certain areas, mainly near airports, controlled airspace extends down to 215m above the ground, and, in the immediate vicinity of an airport, all the way down to the surface.”. It can be concluded that altitude zones were set, from 365 m above the ground, which is considered as the controlled airspace. Hence, the answer is iv (Setting Altitude Zones).

5 Answer: viii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph F, Line 1

Answer explanation: In the sixth paragraph, it is stated that “The FAA then recognised two types of operating environments.”. Here, it is clear that the FAA set two types of operating environments – Visual Flight Rules and Instrumental Flight Rules. Hence, the answer is viii (Setting rules to weather conditions).

6 Answer: vii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph G, Line 1

Answer explanation: In the indicated location, it is given that “Controlled airspace is divided into several different types, designated by letters of the alphabet.”. The quoted lines set the tone of the rest of the paragraph, which discusses the airspace categories, which was defined by alphabets. Hence, the answer is vii (Defining airspace categories.).

7 Answer: False