HOW AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
KEEP AIRPLANES
APART
USING RADAR
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Separation of
aircraft as expressed in the previous page
is known as Procedural Separation. However a
more efficient and expeditious method of
separating aircraft is by means of Radar.
Many countries, in modernizing their air
traffic control systems have moved to
separation of aircraft by use of radar.
Radar is short for Radio Detection and
Ranging and as used in air traffic services,
is an electronic method of determining the
location and direction of aircraft from the
airport or radar station, once those
aircraft are within the serviceable range of
the equipment. |
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If you remember, longitudinal separation is the
method applied to provide a required spacing
between airplanes flying at the same level or
altitude and along the same route. Radar
separation is the most expeditious method of
separation in any of two dimensions, laterally
and longitudinally. Using radar, the controller
can now literally "see" the location and
determine the actual distance of aircraft from
the airport. He can also determine the distance
between the airplanes for himself, and can make
use of the information to separate airplanes
longitudinally or laterally (side by side). The
separation applied is usually a minimum of 3 or
5 nautical miles between airplanes depending
upon circumstances.
 As
aircraft approach to land in an active radar
environment, the radar controller will instruct
aircraft to adjust their airspeed and their
direction of flight in a manner which will
safely position aircraft 3 to 5 miles apart
longitudinally, and place them on an imaginary
extended straight line about 8 to 10 miles from
the runway. From this position there will then
be continuous movement of airplanes towards the
runway, with each aircraft separated from the
one in front by the required 3 or 5NMs.
Departing aircraft must also be separated
laterally from arriving aircraft by the required
5 NM, if not possible at the time, then must be
separated vertically by 1000 feet until they
cross each other and are at least 5 NM apart.
Trinidad and Tobago has recently installed a new MSSR and
PSR radar to replace its old radar that was
removed from service. Flight check inspection of
the new radar installation is scheduled within
the fourth quarter of 2009. With the cooperation
of many of the Eastern Caribbean (ECAR) States,
controllers in Piarco will soon be able to
provide a wider radar service to aircraft
flying above 24,500 feet throughout the island
chain. This is due to the recent
capabilities to link all the ECAR radars with
the final display being available to the Piarco
controllers.
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Using only Piarco's radar system, approximately
10 % of the airspace under its control can be covered. This percentage
will increase dramatically when the new radar-linking
equipment is installed and new radar displays
resulting from this radar linking become fully
operational. ..
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In the light of modern electronic radar and
radar linking equipment, you may wonder then if procedural
control is not an obsolete system. The problem
is that there are still many areas of the world
where it would be impossible, or not practicable
to install radar equipment - like over the high
seas. In some cases, where it may be
practicable, it is not cost-beneficial.
Procedural Separation
END
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