Helicopter
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors
We are testing electronic flight strips at PHX Tower. For the past month or two we have been on again and off again with the electronic flight strips due to malfunctions with the system. We have gone back and forth from testing the system to going back to the paper strips. The process has not allowed for consistent experience on the electronic flight strips. Between days off and vacation and the system being down I don't feel like I have had adequate time to use the system and get used to it. Others perhaps have had more time and therefore perhaps it is assumed that everyone should be at the same level with the system. I feel like my routine and scan has been thrown off and I am trying to develop a new routine and scan with this electronic flight strip system. I find myself having to think more about every little thing and what was once routine and automatic is not so much anymore. I am trying to figure out the system in a real life situation which is different than in a classroom setting. I had a few things going on at Local Control. At the time; a helicopter called; I allowed him to depart; then I had an unfamiliar King Air land and I was trying to give him progressive along the taxiways and the King Air was making it difficult and took my attention away from other things. I believe someone plugged in and wanted a relief briefing during all this. I forgot about the helicopter until another Controller mentioned it. The helicopter was on a standard procedure VFR route that is supposed to keep it away latitudinal and altitudinal from the arrival path of aircraft. But I have had other aircraft on final in the past complain about a helicopter on this route. If this procedure is not naturally keeping the helicopters separate from the arrivals and pilots are complaining about helicopter traffic then why is the VFR route not moved further out? Why have a procedure that doesn't naturally separate the aircraft? An Air Carrier on final was not happy about the helicopter crossing his final for Runway 8. The helicopter said he had Air Carrier in sight and that it was no factor but the pilot said he was going to call the Tower. Staff the hand off position more frequently while we are getting used to the new electronic flight strip system. Move 'Sharp A' VFR helicopter routes further east and west to keep them more comfortably away from the aircraft on final so the aircraft don't get Conflict Alerts and complain. Understanding that it takes time to get used to a new system and don't assume that everyone has the same amount of time and experience on every position. In the weeks we have been testing the new system one might have had only one slow session on position.
PHX Controller described a IFR/VFR conflict between an Air Carrier arrival and a VFR helicopter departure on a prescribed VFR route claiming unfamiliarity with the new 'Electronic Flight Strips' contributed to the event; adding that the subject VFR route should be re-designed to increase procedural separation.