• RADAR – Radio Detection and Ranging
• Primary RADAR
  • How are range and azimuth determined?
  • Disadvantages:
    • Bending of RADAR pulses, or anomalous propagation, which can be caused by temperature inversions
    • Detection range reduced if beam bent upward
    • Precip. or heavy clouds can produce returns which block aircraft
    • Two main drawbacks are that Primary RADAR has difficulty easily identifying an individual aircraft return and difficulty displaying an aircraft’s altitude
• Air Traffic Control RADAR Beacon System (ATCRBS) or Secondary Surveillance RADAR
  • Overcomes most of Primary RADAR’s limitations
  • ATC typically uses Primary and Secondary RADAR together
  • Three Components in addition to Primary RADAR:
    • Decoder
    • Interrogator
    • Transponder
      • Inspections
      • Special Codes (7700, 7600, 7500, 1200)
• 2 FAA RADAR Systems:
  • Airport Surveillance RADAR (ASR)
    • Short-range
    • Terminal RADAR Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs)
    • Automated RADAR Terminal System (ARTS)
      • Automated computer used to perform tasks such as detect, track, and predict primary, as well as secondary, radar returns
  • Air Route Surveillance RADAR (ARSR)
    • Apprx. 100 ARSR sites
      • Some are Beacon only sites (can only receive transponder returns)
    • Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs)

• VFR RADAR Services
  • RADAR Traffic Information Service or VFR Traffic Advisory Service or Flight Following
  • Safety Alerts
  • Vectors (advisory in nature)
  • Terminal VFR Radar Services (4 types)
    • Basic RADAR Service (Voluntary)
      • Safety Alerts
      • Traffic Advisories
      • Limited RADAR Vectoring
      • Sequencing at certain terminal areas
    • Terminal Radar Service Area (TRSA) (Voluntary)
    • Class C Service
    • Class B Service

See Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual C. 5, section A