JO 7110.65 Air Traffic ControlJO 7110.65BB · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 7 · Section 6
Basic Radar Service to VFR Aircraft- Terminal
12 Paragraphs7-6-1–7-6-12
7-6-1 APPLICATION
Basic radar services for VFR aircraft must include:
Safety alerts.
Traffic advisories.
Limited radar vectoring when requested by the pilot.
Sequencing at locations where procedures have been established for this purpose and/or when covered by a LOA.
Apply the procedures contained in paragraph 7-1-3, Approach Control Service for VFR Arriving Aircraft, when arriving VFR aircraft are handled by approach control and provide vectoring service in accordance with Chapter 5, Radar, Section 7, Speed Adjustment, in addition to the radar services prescribed in paragraph 5-6-1, Application, and paragraph 5-6-2, Methods.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-1-16, Surface Areas. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 7-6-1, Application. FAA Order JO 7210.3, Chapter 12, Section 1, Terminal VFR Radar Services. AIM, Para 4-1-18, Terminal Radar Services for VFR Aircraft.
7-6-2 SERVICE AVAILABILITY
Inform aircraft on initial contact whenever this service cannot be provided because of radar outage and apply paragraph 7-1-3, Approach Control Service for VFR Arriving Aircraft.
Provide the service, to the extent possible using an available frequency, if an aircraft desires the service but cannot communicate on the appropriate frequencies. Aircraft which do not desire radar service may be fitted into the landing sequence by the tower. Coordination of these aircraft must be accomplished with the approach control unless a facility directive/LOA prescribes otherwise. Nonparticipating aircraft must, to the extent possible, be given the same landing sequence they would have received had they been sequenced by radar vectors.
Radar sequencing to the primary airport, when local procedures have been developed, must be provided unless the pilot states that the service is not requested. Arriving aircraft are assumed to want radar service unless the pilot states “Negative radar service,” or makes a similar comment.
7-6-3 INITIAL CONTACT
An aircraft sighted by the local controller at the time of first radio contact may be positioned in the landing sequence after coordination with approach control.
7-6-4 IDENTIFICATION
Identify the aircraft before taking action to position it in the approach sequence.
7-6-5 HOLDING
Hold VFR aircraft over the initial reporting fix or a fix near the airport when holding is required to establish an approach sequence.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 7-1-4, Visual Holding of VFR Aircraft.
7-6-6 APPROACH SEQUENCE
Do not assign landing sequence numbers, when establishing aircraft in the approach sequence, unless this responsibility has been delegated in a LOA or facility directive.
NOTE
The landing sequence is ordinarily established by the tower.
7-6-7 SEQUENCING
Establish radar contact before instructing a VFR aircraft to enter the traffic pattern at a specified point or vectoring the aircraft to a position in the approach sequence. Inform the pilot of the aircraft to follow when the integrity of the approach sequence is dependent on following a preceding aircraft. Ensure visual contact is established with the aircraft to follow and provide instruction to follow that aircraft.
PHRASEOLOGY
FOLLOW (description) (position, if necessary).
Direct a VFR aircraft to a point near the airport to hold when a position is not available in the approach sequence for the runway in use. The aircraft may be vectored to another runway after coordination with the tower.
Apply the following procedures to a VFR aircraft being radar sequenced:
The provisions of paragraph 5-5-4, Minima, subparagraphs f and g.
When parallel runways are less than 2,500 feet apart, do not permit an aircraft to overtake another aircraft established on final within the facility's area of responsibility when wake turbulence separation is required.
7-6-8 CONTROL TRANSFER
Inform the tower of the aircraft's position and then instruct the pilot to contact the tower.
The aircraft may be instructed to contact the tower prior to the tower being advised of the aircraft's position provided:
The tower advises the aircraft is in sight, and
Space is available in the landing sequence.
Instruct the pilot to contact the tower at the appropriate point when the approach control STARS track data is being displayed on the tower's TDW display, the aircraft is tagged by STARS, and a facility directive specifies change of communications and control jurisdiction points.
NOTE
The point at which an aircraft is instructed to contact the tower is determined by prior coordination between the tower and approach control and will vary, depending on the runway in use, weather, etc. The transfer of communications ordinarily occurs at least 5 miles from the runway. The point for the transfer of communications should be a sufficient distance from the airport to permit the tower to properly sequence the aircraft, but not at a distance that could derogate the provision of radar traffic information service.
7-6-9 ABANDONED APPROACH
Instruct the aircraft to change to approach control for sequencing when an aircraft, under tower control, abandons the approach and coordination with approach control reveals no immediate space in the approach sequence.
7-6-10 VFR DEPARTURE INFORMATION
Inform departing VFR aircraft who request radar traffic advisories when to contact departure control and the frequency to use. Provide traffic advisories in accordance with paragraph 2-1-21, Traffic Advisories, after the departure is radar identified.
NOTE
Departing aircraft desiring traffic information are expected to request the service and to state their proposed direction of flight upon initial contact with ground control.
7-6-11 TERMINATION OF SERVICE
Basic radar services should be provided to the extent possible, workload permitting. Terminate radar service to aircraft landing at airports other than those where sequencing service is provided at a sufficient distance from the airport to permit the pilot to change to the appropriate frequency for traffic and airport information.
PHRASEOLOGY
RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED, SQUAWK ONE TWO ZERO ZERO, or SQUAWK VFR, then CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQUENCY APPROVED, or CONTACT (frequency identification), or FREQUENCY CHANGE APPROVED.
7-6-12 SERVICE PROVIDED WHEN TOWER IS INOPERATIVE
Provide the following services during hours when the tower is not in operation:
Wind direction and velocity.
NOTE
Issue information provided from the FSS or WSO. Otherwise, inform the pilot that wind information is not available.
Traffic information.
Inform aircraft when radar service is terminated.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-1-9, Radar Service Termination.
Do not assign landing sequence.