About & editorial policy

Who writes this

Cleared to Explain is written by a working air traffic controller. You won’t find a name, a face, a country or a control centre here, and that’s deliberate.

Controllers aren’t spokespeople. Staying anonymous lets us explain how the system works in general, honestly, without speaking for any employer or any airline.

What we cover

• Delays and claims: why your flight is late, and whether you’re owed money under UK261 or EU261.
• How flying works: slots, holding patterns, turbulence and the things you see on flight trackers.
• ATC careers: how to become a controller in the UK, the US and Australia.
• Curiosities: squawk codes, separation and other questions you were too polite to ask.

What we don’t do

• We don’t talk about any specific employer, centre or colleague. Stories on this site are general: “in some sectors”, “a typical morning”. Never a real shift.
• We don’t speculate about accidents under investigation. We’ll explain the official report once it’s published.
• We never publish real ATC audio. Radio exchanges are labelled Recreation or shown as text.
• We don’t take sides against airlines or passengers. If the system is absurd, we’ll say so. People doing their jobs are off limits.

How we write and check

Every article starts from official sources: regulators (UK CAA, FAA, Airservices Australia), EUROCONTROL, ICAO and the text of the law itself. They’re listed at the end of each article, with links.

We use software tools, including AI, to help with research and drafting. Every article is then checked by the controller who writes the site, who adds what only an insider can: the “ATC view”.

Articles about compensation are general information, not legal advice. When rules change, we update the article and show the date.

Spotted a mistake?

Tell us. We’ll check it against the source and correct it, and note the date of the update. See the contact page.

How the site is funded

Ads and affiliate links. The details are on how we make money.