Remote Communications Outlet
Encyclopedia
Remote Communications Outlets (RCO) are remote aviation band radio transceivers, established to extend the communication capabilities of Flight Information Centres (FIC) and Flight Service Station
s (FSS).
Pilots can find RCO frequencies in charts or publications such as the Airport/Facility Directory
or Canada Flight Supplement
. The RCO is used to make a radio call to the outlet as if the pilot were making the call directly to the FSS or FIC. The outlet will relay the call (and the briefer's response) automatically. RCOs are sometimes confused with RTRs, or remote transmitter/receivers. In fact, the difference between the two is subtle. While RCOs serve flight service stations, RTRs serve terminal air traffic control facilities.
RCOs and RTRs may be UHF or VHF and are divided into a variety of classes determined by the number of transmitters or receivers. Classes A through G are used mainly for air/ ground communications. Class O facilities were created specifically to provide ground-to-ground communication between air traffic controllers and pilots located at satellite airports. The idea was to create a way for pilots to receive en-route clearances or departure authorizations and cancel IFR flight plans. Class O RTRs also were intended to allow pilots flying below the coverage of the primary air/ground frequency to continue to receive advisories from air traffic control. Class O facilities are nonprotected outlets and are subject to prolonged outages which may go undetected and unreported.
Canada
also uses a special variant called the Dial-up Remote Communications Outlet (DRCO). DRCOs connect to an FIC or FSS over a phone line, and pilots initiate the connection by keying their microphones in a prescribed pattern.
See Also Ground communication outlet
Flight service station
A Flight Service Station is an air traffic facility that provides information and services to aircraft pilots before, during, and after flights, but unlike air traffic control , is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances or providing separation...
s (FSS).
Pilots can find RCO frequencies in charts or publications such as the Airport/Facility Directory
Airport/Facility Directory
The Airport/Facility Directory , in the U.S., is a pilot’s manual that provides comprehensive information on airports, large and small, and other aviation facilities and procedures.-Description:...
or Canada Flight Supplement
Canada Flight Supplement
The Canada Flight Supplement is a joint civil/military publication and is a supplement of the Aeronautical Information Publication . It is the nation's official airport directory...
. The RCO is used to make a radio call to the outlet as if the pilot were making the call directly to the FSS or FIC. The outlet will relay the call (and the briefer's response) automatically. RCOs are sometimes confused with RTRs, or remote transmitter/receivers. In fact, the difference between the two is subtle. While RCOs serve flight service stations, RTRs serve terminal air traffic control facilities.
RCOs and RTRs may be UHF or VHF and are divided into a variety of classes determined by the number of transmitters or receivers. Classes A through G are used mainly for air/ ground communications. Class O facilities were created specifically to provide ground-to-ground communication between air traffic controllers and pilots located at satellite airports. The idea was to create a way for pilots to receive en-route clearances or departure authorizations and cancel IFR flight plans. Class O RTRs also were intended to allow pilots flying below the coverage of the primary air/ground frequency to continue to receive advisories from air traffic control. Class O facilities are nonprotected outlets and are subject to prolonged outages which may go undetected and unreported.
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
also uses a special variant called the Dial-up Remote Communications Outlet (DRCO). DRCOs connect to an FIC or FSS over a phone line, and pilots initiate the connection by keying their microphones in a prescribed pattern.
See Also Ground communication outlet
Ground communication outlet
An GCO is a variant of a remote communications outlet . Historically, pilots would use a RCO, which was a direct telephone line to the nearest air traffic controller, be it a 'tower' or a 'Flight Service Station'. A GCO allows a pilot to use the plane's radio to contact the RCOand/or the air...