Definition
An FAA air traffic control computer system used at certain en route facilities (notably Anchorage and Honolulu ARTCCs) to process radar data, track aircraft, and display targets to controllers handling traffic outside terminal areas. EARTS performs the same general role as the larger en route system used in the contiguous United States, providing radar tracking, flight data processing, and conflict alerts for controllers separating aircraft along airways and in oceanic transition areas.
Plain English
A computer system that takes radar information and turns it into the moving aircraft tags controllers see on their screens, used at a few en route control centers to keep traffic separated.
Context Anchor
You may see EARTS in FAA acronym lists, air traffic control discussions, or material describing how controllers track aircraft outside the immediate airport area.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots flying in Alaskan or Hawaiian airspace are being tracked by EARTS rather than the system used over the lower 48. Knowing the name helps when reading NOTAMs or advisories that reference the system being out of service or degraded.
Example Sentence 1
Controllers at the Anchorage center rely on EARTS to track aircraft transiting Alaskan airspace.
Example Sentence 2
The controller checked the EARTS display to confirm the aircraft's route clearance.