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Strip anatomy and types

A strip does not keep one fixed shape. Flight Strips chooses a presentation that fits the flight’s bay and the controller layout. The underlying flight remains the same; the displayed boxes change so the information needed for the current stage is visible.

Not every strip type contains every box. These are the names used throughout the documentation:

BoxWhat it displays
SIYour position’s ownership relationship to the strip and any pending handoff. See Ownership and handoffs.
CallsignThe aircraft callsign. On operational strips, the next frequency or position can appear beneath it prefixed by :.
A/C typeAircraft type and, where shown, wake-turbulence category.
RegistrationAircraft registration, shown below the aircraft type on apron strips.
DestinationDestination aerodrome.
StandAssigned or expected parking stand.
SquawkAssigned transponder code.
RunwayAssigned arrival or departure runway.
TWYTaxiway or taxi clearance limit.
HPHolding point.
SIDStandard instrument departure.
Cleared FLCleared altitude or flight level.
HeadingAssigned heading.
EOBTEstimated off-block time.
TOBTTarget off-block time.
TSATTarget start-up approval time.
CTOTCalculated take-off time. The box is blank when the flight has no CTOT to display.
QNHCurrent pressure setting decoded from the airport METAR.
POBPersons on board.
StatusGROUND or AIRBORNE on a control-zone strip.
LanguagePilot language recorded on a control-zone flight plan.
FPL typeFlight-plan type recorded for a control-zone flight.

Some boxes are intentionally blank. Where described below, a blank box is still clickable and opens the flight plan.

The pre-clearance strip is used for flights that have not moved to CLEARED. It has no SI box because it is a clearance-delivery work item rather than an owned operational strip.

Annotated pre-clearance strip showing the callsign, destination, stand, EOBT and CTOT, and TOBT and TSAT boxes

Left to right:

CallsignDestination / StandEOBT / CTOTTOBT / TSAT

The destination and stand share one box. EOBT and CTOT share another; TOBT and TSAT share the last.

The cleared summary shown on the clearance layout adds ownership while retaining the time-focused clearance view.

Annotated cleared summary strip showing the SI, callsign, destination and stand, and time boxes

Left to right:

SICallsignDestination / StandEOBT / CTOTTOBT / TSAT

When another layout shows clearance traffic in a narrow bay, Flight Strips uses this compact form:

Annotated compact clearance strip showing the identifier, callsign, aircraft type, runway, SID and stand boxes

OBCallsignA/C typeRunwaySIDStand

OB is the identifier displayed in the first box of this strip type. It is not the ownership SI box.

The same presentation is used in the implemented STARTUP, PUSHBACK and DE-ICE bays.

Annotated start-up and pushback strip showing the ownership, callsign, aircraft, stand, time and runway boxes

SICallsign / next frequencyA/C type / RegistrationStand or release pointTSAT / CTOTRunway

The stand box displays the release point instead of the stand once a release point exists.

Apron controller layouts use this departure-taxi presentation:

Annotated apron departure-taxi strip showing the ownership, callsign, aircraft, stand, taxiway, holding point and runway boxes

SICallsign / next frequencyA/C type / RegistrationStand / CTOTTWY / HPRunway

The TWY/HP box changes its emphasis depending on whether the stored release point is a taxiway or holding point.

Tower and ground layouts use the more detailed departure strip for departure traffic in TWY-DEP, RWY-DEP and AIRBORNE:

Annotated tower and ground departure strip showing every operational box

| SI | Callsign / next frequency | A/C type / Squawk | Stand | TWY | Runway / HP | Cleared FL / Heading | SID / Destination / CTOT | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

The last box stacks SID, destination and CTOT. A red cleared-flight-level box indicates that the requested altitude violates an active ECFMP prohibited-level restriction. A red destination section indicates an active ECFMP ground-stop restriction.

The tower and ground layouts use one arrival presentation in FINAL, RWY-ARR and TWY-ARR:

Annotated final-arrival strip showing the ownership, callsign, aircraft, stand, runway, holding point or taxiway, and flight-plan boxes

SICallsign / next frequencyA/C type / SquawkStandRunway / HP or TWYFlight plan

The final flight-plan box is intentionally blank. Click it to open the flight plan. The runway box controls runway-clearance or confirmation actions only while the strip is in FINAL or RWY-ARR and owned by your position.

Apron layouts use a registration-focused arrival strip:

Annotated apron-arrival strip showing the ownership, callsign, aircraft, registration, runway, taxiway and stand boxes

SICallsign / next frequencyA/C type / RegistrationRunwayTWYStand

Compact strips are used where a full strip is not required. The left identifier distinguishes their purpose:

Annotated compact flight strip showing the identifier, callsign, aircraft, runway, taxiway, holding point and stand boxes

IdentifierCallsignA/C typeRunwayTWYHPStand

The implemented controller layouts currently show OB for compact pushback traffic and LA for locked arrival traffic. A locked arrival strip is read-only.

The control-zone strip is a separate VFR-oriented presentation:

Annotated control-zone strip showing the indicator, callsign, remarks, squawk, QNH, persons on board, status, language, flight-plan type and flight-plan boxes

IndicatorCallsign / RemarksSquawkQNH / POBStatus / Language / FPL typeFlight plan

The first box is a fixed white indicator in the current implementation, not the normal ownership SI. The last box is intentionally blank and opens the flight plan.

At EKCH, the displayed status changes from GROUND to AIRBORNE when the reported altitude is more than 200 feet above the configured field elevation of 17 feet. If the altitude is unavailable—or the airport is not EKCH—the displayed status is GROUND.

Flight Strips also renders tactical items that are not flight plans:

Annotated tactical memory-aid strip showing ownership, tactical text, confirmation and delete boxes

  • Memory aid: blue, with its label and optional aircraft reference. It includes a confirmation cell when another controller needs to acknowledge it.
  • Crossing: yellow, with its label and optional aircraft reference.
  • START and LAND: orange runway-action reminders with their type, label and optional aircraft reference.

When you own a tactical strip, it has a white ownership cell on the left and a delete box on the right. Clicking the body marks or unmarks it. A controller who does not own it can open its ownership menu and use FORCE ASSUME.

A message strip contains three boxes:

Annotated message strip showing the sender, message text and dismiss boxes

Sender indicatorMessage textDismiss

The sender indicator represents a system, broadcast or personal message. The X box dismisses the message from the board.