about Offshore etc, this can be less of a problem if the airspace is not used by GA and MOD. With the Greater Wash wind farm, a TMZ consultation was held and the CAA has gone ahead with it.
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2111/20120...etterGWTMZ.pdf
This means that the whole windfarm can now be filtered out in Primary radar. This obviously means that anything flying over the top of it will not be seen, and that's why you mandate a transponder.
Try to do that in the South East and it would be different! GA wouldn't agree and ATC wouldn't be happy without being able to see infringers etc.
Again, the effect of Windfarms on radar is a single plot, a few plots moving/twinkling around, or at worst a whole area of radar picture blighted with dozens of false plots. If air traffic flies towards another plot, what should the controller do?
Even if they know it's a wind farm?...just go ahead? or maybe assume it could be something else? What if that plot appears near final approach to a RWY where you are vectoring 2-3 aircraft? Just ignore it? or vector around it and break up all your careful planning, extend miles, create a more complex situation or even worse conflict?
that's exactly the point....
here are some FAQs from the Scottish Govt.
Aviation and radar - Department of Energy and Climate Change
CTG