Definition
An ATC program that allows an IFR flight to travel between two nearby airports by being handed off through a series of adjacent terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facilities, without entering the en route air traffic control system run by Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). TEC is generally used for short flights at lower altitudes, with routes published in the Chart Supplement.
Plain English
A way to fly an IFR trip between two airports that are reasonably close together, where the lower-level approach controllers pass you along to each other instead of sending you up to the high-altitude center controllers.
Context Anchor
Seen when planning or filing an IFR flight in areas where published TEC routes are available, especially in Chart Supplement routing information and IFR clearance planning.
Derivation
The name describes what happens: instead of an ARTCC (the 'Center') handling the en route portion, the towers' associated approach controls handle it. 'En route' simply means 'along the way' between the departure and destination phases.
Why Pilots Care
Gives VFR pilots the safety benefit of ATC radar services without filing an IFR flight plan.
Intuition Check
TEC does not mean one airport tower controls your entire flight by itself. It means terminal-area ATC facilities use published IFR routes to handle the flight without sending it through the normal long-distance en route center.
Example Sentence 1
For the short hop from Long Beach to Palm Springs, the pilot filed a published TEC route to stay with approach controllers the whole way.
Example Sentence 2
TEC routes kept the VFR traffic sequenced and separated as it moved through the busy terminal airspace.