When ERAM is active, nonradar and ERAM-excluded flights must have strips posted in the strip bay

How ERAM changes the strip bay game (and why nonradar flights still matter)

If you’ve spent time in an air traffic control environment, you’ve probably heard about ERAM—the En Route Automation Modernization system. It’s the electronic brain that helps controllers keep track of most en route traffic, weaving radar data, flight plans, and procedural guidance into one big, workable picture. But even with a modern computer brain on duty, there’s still a place for a good, old-fashioned strip bay. That’s where the human touch matters most.

Let me explain the core idea in plain terms: when ERAM is up and humming, not every aircraft disappears into the electronic fog. Some flights never feed into ERAM, or they feed in only partially. For those aircraft, the strip bay becomes a crucial real-time surrogate—an accessible, physical record that keeps everybody aligned. The question some folks ask is this: when ERAM is operational, which aircraft must have strips posted in the strip bay?

Answer at a glance: nonradar flights and ERAM-excluded flights.

If you’re wondering what that really means in practice, you’re not alone. Let’s unpack it with a few straight-to-the-point explanations and a few everyday analogies that make the rules feel a little less abstract.

ERAM does a lot, but it doesn’t do it all (yet)

ERAM’s strength lies in its ability to display and track radar-reported traffic. Radar flights—aircraft that broadcast or provide radar returns—can be followed automatically on the screen. The electronic system knows where those planes are, how fast they’re moving, and what altitude they’re supposed to maintain. For the most part, this makes life easier for controllers, letting them manage large amounts of traffic with a digital backbone.

But the airspace isn’t a strictly binary world of “in ERAM” or “not in ERAM.” Some flights don’t appear in ERAM at all, either because they’re outside radar coverage, operating under special procedures, or simply not feeding data into the system. Those are ERAM-excluded flights in many SOPs. And then there are nonradar flights—aircraft that are visible to the controller by other means (visuals, flight plans, position reports) but not captured by radar data. In both cases, the physical strip bay keeps pace with the electronic view, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

Why nonradar flights still deserve a strips presence

Nonradar flights cover a broad spectrum. Think of them as the “hands-on” end of the airspace:

• Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations in controlled airspace. These pilots aren’t always squawking a reliable radar signal, but they still require clear tracking, sequencing, and separation from other traffic.

• Special operations that don’t rely on standard radar feeds—military exercises, search-and-rescue missions, or certain helicopter operations in busy corridors.

• Flights in areas with limited radar coverage or during temporary outage conditions. Even a momentary gap in the electronic picture can tempt miscommunication, unless a sturdy, physical record is in place.

Posting strips for these flights isn’t about turning back the clock; it’s about creating a safety net that complements the electronic tools. The strips help controllers maintain situational awareness, coordinate with neighboring sectors, and keep a precise, human-readable trail of what’s happening in the sky. It’s a practical reminder that the airspace is a shared space between people and machines.

ERAM-excluded flights: what counts as excluded, and why a strip still matters

ERAM-excluded flights are those that either do not feed into ERAM or operate under procedures that bypass its tracking for certain parts of their journey. This can include specialized or nonstandard operations, or scenarios where data quality isn’t sufficient for reliable electronic display. In those cases, the controller relies on a strip to capture essential details—aircraft ID, altitude, speed, heading, estimated times, route, and any pertinent notes about coordination with surrounding sectors.

To be clear, this is not about resistance to technology. It’s about ensuring continuity of surveillance and coordination when the digital picture isn’t complete. The strip acts as a low-tech but high-trust backup that helps maintain safe separation and orderly flow, especially during busy periods or in transitional zones where ERAM coverage is imperfect.

The anatomy of a strip and what it communicates

If you’ve ever seen a strip bay in action, you know there’s more to a strip than a name and a number. A well-dressed strip carries just enough information to keep a plane moving safely without clutter. In a typical environment, a strip might convey:

• Aircraft identification (call sign or flight number)

• Altitude and assigned flight level

• Speed and intended route or sector handoff

• Time estimates (for position fix, handoff, or arrival sequencing)

• Notes about radar status (e.g., nonradar or ERAM-excluded)

• Any coordination flags for adjacent sectors or services (e.g., approach, departures, or special use airspace)

The goal isn’t to replicate ERAM on paper but to provide a clear, concise snapshot that a controller can read at a glance. You’ll notice a certain rhythm in well-run strip bays: strips are updated as new information comes in, handoffs are marked, and the bay remains readable even during a smartly busy shift. It’s a balance between speed and accuracy, a bit of art and a dash of practicality.

A quick mental model you can carry into the field

• Radar flights go electronically. They’re tracked with a digital spine, and the strip can take a backseat—most of the time.

• Nonradar flights deserve a strip. They need to be seen in the physical space just as clearly as in the digital one.

• ERAM-excluded flights get strips too. They might not light up the screen, but they still light up the sky for someone, somewhere, who needs to know where they are.

This isn’t about clinging to old habits; it’s about layering protection. The strip bay is the human interface that keeps the system honest, especially when the screens flicker or the data stream stalls just long enough to matter.

From SOPs to real-world operations: a hopeful example

Imagine a scenario during peak traffic hours. The radar picture is full, ERAM is processing smoothly, and the controllers are juggling a dozen handoffs with practiced ease. A VFR flight rolls into a sector where radar coverage is spotty, or perhaps a military exercise steps onto a corridor where ERAM doesn’t capture every detail. Without a strip, this visually reported aircraft could drift off the radar’s edge, and a miscommunication could cascade into a separation lapse.

With the strip in place, the controller can cross-check what ERAM shows with what’s physically present in the bay. They can compare times, verify altitudes, and ensure that this nonradar or ERAM-excluded flight remains integrated into the flow. The reader-friendly strip becomes a bridge between electronic intelligence and human oversight, a steadying hand during a momentary storm of data.

Real-world culture and the human factor

This approach isn’t just about rules on a page; it reflects a culture of safety and redundancy. There’s a saying in the control room: “The aircraft don’t wait for the screen to catch up.” In practice, that means human judgment, clear communication, and reliable paper trails all coexisting with digital automation. The strip bay embodies that philosophy in a tangible way. It’s where responsibility is shared, where a simple line of handwriting can avert confusion, and where seasoned controllers rely on a familiar tool even as new tech evolves.

A few tips for students and newcomers who want to internalize the system

• Get comfortable with the language. Know what nonradar and ERAM-excluded mean in your center’s SOPs, because terminology can shift a bit across facilities.

• Visualize the workflow. Picture how a strip moves from one operator to another, how handoffs are recorded, and where the strip sits in the daily rhythm of the shift.

• Watch the human side. Notice how controllers cross-check the strip with the ERAM screen and with communications to pilots and other sectors.

• Practice the mindset, not just the mechanics. Yes, you’ll learn the fields on a strip, but you’ll also learn when to trust the digital view and when to lean on the physical record for reassurance.

• Consider the role of maintenance and outages. When ERAM isn’t fully available, the strip bay often becomes the primary source of truth—this emphasis on contingency planning is a hallmark of solid SOPs.

When to lean on a strip and when to trust the screen

If you’re staring down a busy airway and ERAM is solid, you’ll see radar tracks light up the screen and strips take a quieter role. If something unusual happens—an outage, a rare nonradar flight slipping through the cracks, or a nonstandard routing—strips spring into action as the reliable, human-readable core of the situation. The system isn’t trying to replace human judgment; it’s designed to support it, with different tools for different parts of the job.

A final thought: the strip bay as a living reminder

You don’t need to romanticize old gear to appreciate the value of the strip bay. Think of it as a living reminder that air travel is a team sport—pilots, radar-equipped aircraft, nonradar operations, and those ERAM-excluded cases all deserve a seat at the table. The SOPs around strip posting aren’t about nostalgia; they’re about ensuring pilots, controllers, and dispatchers share a common, accurate picture of the sky.

If you’re curious about how these ideas play out in day-to-day operations, the best way forward is to observe, ask questions, and compare the electronic view with the physical strips in a calm, methodical way. You’ll notice the same underlying principle: safety first, communication clear, and technology used to support, not replace, human judgment.

Bottom line

When ERAM is operational, nonradar flights and ERAM-excluded flights require strips in the strip bay. This rule isn’t a gimmick; it’s a practical safeguard that keeps the airspace coherent and safe. The strips provide essential context, ensuring that every aircraft—radar or nonradar, ERAM-fed or not—receives the attention it deserves from skilled controllers who know the sky like the back of their hand.

If you’d like to keep exploring how radar SOPs shape real-world air traffic control, I can share more insights on the everyday routines, the songs of handoffs, and the little quirks that make a control room feel like a well-oiled, high-stakes orchestra.