How is the air traffic managed at a field with many privately owned aircraft?
How is this high amount of air traffic managed?


Air traffic is managed at many levels by many people and is heavily dependent on the airports specifics when it comes to GA. First off not every airplane in the sky is talking to or under control of ATC, for that mater in some airspaces you don't even need a radio on board. The following is pursuant to US FAA regulations, other countries may handle air traffic differently.  

The first level of traffic management is the pilot, its the job of every pilot to "see and avoid" other traffic, this goes for both commercial and general aviation traffic. Even if issued a command by ATC you can deviate to avoid an emergency (i.e. hitting another plane). 

The next level of traffic management is the various FAA regulations on both ground and air flight operations. These regulations (like traffic rules) are laws and must be followed. They are designed to mitigate traffic in certain areas and will also force you in some areas to at least be on the radio with ATC (e.g. class B airspace). You can read up on the full regs here and you will find most of what you are looking for under "flight rules". Much of the country (below 18,000Ft and above 1200ft generally) is actually class E airspace which does not require ATC communications. This is where most GA traffic lives although small turbo props and the boldest of piston singles can now make it into the levels, most GA planes cant. There are also pre set cruising altitude intervals for VFR and IFR traffic to help keep separation.   

Above that you will have ATC who is controlling all IFR traffic, traffic in Class A, B, C, and D airspace and will provide limited radar services to VFR traffic when load permits. When flying under VFR (depending on where you are) you may not need to ever talk to ATC. It is possible to depart an un-towered airport in class G or E airspace, fly around and return with out ever having contacted an ATC facility. 

On the ground control depends on the airport. At an uncontrolled field (lots of smaller general aviation airports) the pilots decide. Taxing around is much like driving a car and there are pre determined radio calls to enter the traffic pattern and use the active runway. At a towered airport ground control will monitor and control the flow of traffic on the ramp and the tower will control the traffic from the runway thresholds until the plane departs its airspace.  

The only exceptions to the rules here in the US are 5 airports (LaGuardia, Newark,  O'Hare, Ronald Reagan National, and John F. Kennedy) which are subject to the FAA's high density airport rules (specific to the airports) generally speaking the operations are the same in terms of how ATC will handle a given aircraft but departures and arrivals are limited and must be reserved ahead of time. 

Another note on IFR operations, ATC will treat all planes the same and will only give priority to a plane in an emergency. Your little Cessna 172 on an IFR flight will receive the same services as a 747 30,000ft above you.


  Do they have an separate air traffic controller?


No. See above but for what its worth the big planes contact the same ATC facilities as the little guys.  

Spruce Creek

For what its worth Spruce Creek sits under a Class C shelf as you can see on the sectional here. 



Departing from RW 5 and staying below 1200 puts you right between the Daytona Class C and New Smyrna Beach Class D so you may find your self contacting ATC on departure depending on your route you are somewhat boxed in there. Even departing from 23 you may find your self contacting Daytona approach to punch into the Class C there. Technically you can get out of there with out contacting ATC but you may find your self needing to depending on the situation.