- Radar (radio detection and ranging) is a system which uses a synchronized radio transmitter and receiver to emit radio waves and process their reflections for display.
- Primary radar is a ground-based system used by ATC which transmits radio waves in a narrow beam by a rotating antenna. When the radio waves strike your aircraft, they are reflected back to the antenna and processed to provide a display, or echo, which shows your aircraft's location on a radarscope.
- The range of your aircraft is determined by measuring the time it takes for the radio waves to reach your aircraft and then return to the receiving antenna.
- The azimuth, or angle of your aircraft from the radar site, is measured clockwise from north in a horizontal plane.
- Some of the limitations of primary radar are the bending of radar pulses (anomalous propagation), blocking of radar returns by precipitation or heavy clouds, and its inability to easily identify an individual aircraft return and display an aircraft's altitude.
- The ATCRBS which sometimes is referred to as secondary surveillance radar, or simply secondary radar, consists of three main components in addition to primary radar; a decoder, an interrogator, and a transponder.
- The FARs require that your transponder be tested and inspected ever 24 calendar months for operations in controlled airspace.
- The term squack is used by the controller to assign a four-digit code, as well as to indicate which transponder function should should select.
- Airport surveillance radar (ASR) facilities are designed to provide relatively short-range coverage in the airport vicinity and to serve as an expeditious means of handling terminal area traffic.
- ARTS equipment automatically provides a continuous display of an aircraft's positions, altitude, groundspeed, and other pertinent information.
- The primary responsibility of terminal radar approach control facilities (TRACONs) is to ensure safe separation of aircraft transitioning from departure to cruise flight or from cruise to a landing approach.
- Air route surveillance radar (ARSR) is the long-range radar equipment used in controlled airspace to manage traffic.
- Workload permitting, air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) will provide traffic advisories and course guidance, or vectors to VFR aircraft on request.
- When giving traffic alerts, controllers reference traffic from you airplane as if it were a clock.
- Safety alerts are issued when an aircraft is in unsafe proximity to terrain, obstructions, or other aircraft.
- Terminal VFR radar service includes basic radar service, terminal radar service area (TRSA) service, Class C service, and Class B service.
- Basic radar service for VFR aircraft includes safety alerts, traffic advisories, and limited radar vectoring. Sequencing also is available at certain terminal locations.
- To improve controller effectiveness and to reduce frequency congestion, automatic terminal information service (ATIS) is available in selected high activity terminal areas.
- Flight service stations (FSSs) are ATC facilities which provide a variety of services to pilots, including weather briefings, enroute communication, VFR search and rescue services, processing of flight plans, and assisting lost aircraft in emergency situations.
- When you file a flight plan with and FSS prior to a cross-country, a record is made which includes your destination, route of flight, arrival time, and number of people on board your aircraft.
- If you get disoriented while on a cross-country flight, and FSS specialist may be able to locate you with a VHF direction finder.
- Communication radios in general aviation aircraft use a portion of the very high frequency (VHF) range, which includes the frequencies between 118.0 MHz and 135.975 MHz.
- The range of VHF transmissions is limited to the line of sight, which means that obstructions such as buildings, terrain, or the curvature of the earth block radio waves.
- An initial callup to ATC or another facility should include who you are, where you are, and what type of service you are requesting.
- The ICAO has adopted a phonetic alphabet to be used in radio transmissions.
- Aviation uses the 24-hour clock system and coordinated universal time (UTC), or Zulu time, which places the entire world on one time standard.
- To increase safety at airports without operating control towers, it is important that all radio-equipped aircraft transmit and receive traffic information on a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF).
- An aeronautical advisory station, or UNICOM is a privately owned air/ground communication station which transmits on a limited number of frequencies.
- The purpose of MULTICOM is to provide an air-to-air communication frequency for pilots for self-announce their position and intentions at airports which do not have a tower, an FSS, or UNICOM.
- Your initial callup to ATC should include the name of the facility you are trying to contact, your full aircraft identification, the type of message to follow or request if it is short.
- An air traffic control clearance is an authorization by ATC for you to proceed under specified traffic conditions within controlled airspace.
- Ground control is an ATC function for directing the movement of aircraft and other vehicles on the airport surface.
- The term radar contact means your aircraft has been radar identified and flight following will be provided.
-Approach control is the ATC function that provides separation and sequencing of inbound aircraft, as well as traffic advisories and safety alerts when necessary.
- To land at a towered-controlled airport if your communication radios become inoperative, set your transponder to code 7600, and follow
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~ Aviation Management ~
Non-FictionAviation Management notes from ISU and ERAU; taken from Jeppesen textbooks, AOPA website.
