Originally Posted by
theATCO
Hej guys,
I am working as an ATCO in Sweden and have been thinking about why we say "radar contact" alternatively "identified" every single time an aircraft is changed to a different frequency. In my mind this should only be applicable during the first time of identification (e.g. on departure or if an aircraft arrives from a non-radar procedural environment) and not having to say this all the time would reduce frequency occupancy time. I am curious to know how you do it in other EASA-countries and if you know any regulation that would support a different way of doing this? I used to work in the UK and I have a remote memory that we only had to say this during departure and also when an IFR aircraft arrived from outside controlled airspace.
Regards,
theATCO
You wouldn't/shouldn't.
First, once a flight is informed that it is identified (using the phraseology IDENTIFIED, not the very anachronistic 'radar contact'), it remains so until it is told that it is not (phraseology is SURVEILLANCE SERVICES TERMINATED) - typically when departing surveillance coverage (less likely these days) or control is transferred to an ATS unit that does not have surveillance capability, e.g. a procedural APP/TWR.
Second, the term RADAR is obsolete, replaced by SURVEILLANCE, as both the pilot and the controller are largely agnostic to the method of surveillance - it does not matter whether it is radar, ADS-B, MLAT or whatever.