LC must use which to maintain the arrival/departure sequence?

• A. radar sequencing
• B. ATC handoffs
• C. pad management procedures and/or strips
• D. speed control only

Answer: (C)

To keep the arrivals and departures in the correct order, you rely on pad management procedures and/or strips. These strips provide a real-time, visible record of each aircraft in your sector—their call sign, current status, assigned altitude, speed, and next action. With this information, you can sequence the next arrival or departure, issue the appropriate clearances, and maintain required separation as traffic flow changes.

Radar sequencing is a useful tool for coordinating flow, but the local controller’s primary method for preserving the arrival/departure sequence is the pads or strips that track the sequence and status of every aircraft. Handoffs are about transferring control between controllers, not establishing the sequence, and speed control, while helpful for spacing, cannot by itself guarantee the correct order without the strips providing the actual sequence picture.