Originally Posted by
dont overfil
It's just a trial at this stage, but if the results are satisfactory it may prevent the need for a TMZ or RMZ. Hopefully the LOA's will fill the gaps. Remember this is not for control. It's for awareness. From what I've seen so far it is excellent.
I'd be amazed if anyone attempted to impose a TMZ or RMZ in this area. Reading between the lines, does the suggestion of a TMZ imply that the notion is that Dundee would be the controlling authority, and since they don't have and are unlikely ever to get primary radar, they could only control using some form of SSR, i.e. in this case MLAT, and that would mean they'd have to have a TMZ.
But that would beg the big questions of (a) Dundee ATC's Area of Operational Responsibility and (b) what Leuchars would then do in the area.
Any proposals for SSR-only, or even mandatory radio, in this area will have to grasp the nettle of the significant numbers of gliders from Portmoak that will want to continue to exercise their rights to operate without transponder and/or radio.
Looking at the history of airproxes in this area, there have been around 30 since 2001. The vast majority were Cat.C (no risk of collision). There were three Cat As, all of them occurring within an ATZ where the use of radar information to separate traffic is more problematic.
So the MLAT trial may well provide some valuable lessons. But I'm not so sure those are lessons that have direct applicability in *this* area.
NS