In a properly designed ATC system with safety at the fore the pilot remains with the radar centre controller when in IMC at a class D airport. This is to maximise safety and allows an alarm system to be enabled in the centre and warn if the pilot descends below certain pre determined altitudes when in cloud. Just commonsense really. Even though resisted by some dopey ATCs and pilots.
A class D tower controller should be concentrating on traffic where the collision risk is greatest. That is close to and on the runway. Once again just commonsense -but not in Australia. There is simply no way the same controller can also provide an effective radar service at the same time. The class D tower controller needs to be looking outside- not down at a radar screen.
It took a five year fight by myself and others to get our radar used properly in en route un controlled airspace Before the AMATS changes pilots in un controlled airspace in good radar coverage under the J Curve were forced by law not to be able to talk to the radar operator.
It was the prime reason that the pilot of VH- MDX was not informed at any time by the radar controller that he was heading at right angles to the stated track for over 20 minutes.
Not at any time before the crash that killed all onboard was the pilot able to communicate to the radar controller directly despite being in some of our best radar covered airspace in Australia.
I was told endlessly at the time " Dick you don't understand- un controlled airspace is Flight Service airspace and Flight Service is not trained to operate radar- you are so ignorant Dick "
After the BASI investigation no change was made because investigators, pilots and controllers had minds set in concrete and supported the way we did things before radar was introduced.
Just like Le Ping 30 years later.
Last edited by Dick Smith; 22nd Jun 2016 at 21:57.