La tour de contrôle d'Orly, le centre névralgique de l'aéroport

Summary

Orly Airport's control tower, handling 700 takeoffs and landings daily, underwent a critical renovation in November 2017. The challenge was to modernize the 50-meter high tower without disrupting air traffic. A temporary control room was created below the existing one to maintain operations during the upgrade. The renovation included replacing small windows with large glass panels to enhance controllers' visibility and installing soundproof ceilings for better communication and concentration. The project also integrated state-of-the-art technology, digitized workstations, and used virtual reality to test the new environment, ensuring a seamless transition to a more efficient air traffic control system.

Takeaways

• 🛫 The control tower at Orly Airport handles 700 landings and takeoffs daily, making it a critical hub for airport operations.
• 🔧 The control tower, like an airport terminal, ages and requires regular renovation and modernization to keep up with technological advancements.
• 🏗️ A complete redesign was necessary for the 50-meter tall control tower, which had been in use since the 1960s.
• ⏱️ In November 2017, the airport underwent a sensitive period to modernize the control tower without disrupting air traffic.
• 🚧 A temporary control room was created one floor below to continue operations during the renovation.
• 🛠️ The exterior of the control tower was modified to create glazed spaces below the observation deck, increasing the controllers' field of vision.
• 🔄 The most significant challenge was to switch all radar, GPS, and radio systems without affecting air traffic control.
• 🛂 Ensuring safety, continuity, and regularity of flights was paramount, with no room for error during the transition.
• 🔧 The renovation process involved complex technical, temporal, and logistical constraints, including moving 30 tons of materials to a height of 45 meters.
• 🎧 New soundproof ceilings were installed to improve working comfort for controllers and reduce reverberation, enhancing communication safety with aircraft.
• 💻 Digital workstations were created to manage all flight data, including identification, trajectory, altitude, and origin, preparing for more integrated air traffic control systems.

Q & A

How many takeoffs and landings does Orly Airport handle daily?

Orly Airport handles 700 takeoffs and landings daily.

What is the significance of the control tower at Orly Airport?

The control tower is the nerve center of Orly Airport, essential for securing air traffic without which the airport would close down.

Why does the control tower at Orly need renovation?

The control tower, like an airport terminal, ages and requires regular renewal and modernization of its equipment.

What was the challenge faced during the renovation of the control tower in November 2017?

The challenge was to modernize the control tower without affecting air traffic.

What is the term used for the observation area in the control tower?

The observation area in the control tower is referred to as 'la vigie' in the jargon.

Why was it necessary to create a temporary control room during the renovation?

To avoid interrupting airport activity, a temporary control room was needed to be set up one floor below the main control room.

What changes were made to the exterior of the control tower to accommodate the temporary control room?

The exterior of the control tower had to be modified to create glazed spaces at the levels below the 'vigie' by replacing old portholes with large glazed windows.

What was the main difficulty in the renovation process?

The main difficulty was switching all the radar, GPS, and radio systems without affecting air traffic control.

How was the transition to the new control systems managed without disrupting air traffic?

The transition was managed through several nights of testing and adjustments to ensure the safety, continuity, and regularity of flights.

What were the technical challenges faced during the renovation?

The technical challenges included dealing with constraints in a small space, managing technical, temporal, and realization constraints, and safely handling the transportation of 30 tons of materials to a height of 45 meters.

How did the renovation improve the working conditions for air traffic controllers?

The renovation included installing soundproof ceilings to reduce reverberation, creating new digital workstations for handling flight data, and improving the overall safety and concentration of controllers through better sound management.

What technology was used by engineers to optimize the renovation process?

Engineers used virtual reality technology, similar to that used in video games, to model the entire 'vigie' digitally and allow controllers to test their future work environment.