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Control Transfer

JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

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:
1. The tower advises the aircraft is in sight, and
2. 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.