LBA Radar

[The Great Unwashed]

I've noticed recently the Approach controllers advising pilots of poor radar performance in certain areas. Is this a new issue or an ongoing one ? I know LBA has a lot of high ground to the north and west of the airport and doesn't have the benefit of its own SSR head. Could these factors be significant ??

Thankyou.

[Pole Hill]

The Great Unwashed,
I fly from Leeds.
I know LBA has a lot of high ground to the north and west of the airport and doesn't have the benefit of its own SSR head.
I've never noticed! Who's head do they use?
POL

[Mooncrest]

Pole Hill,

LBA has its own primary radar, a Plessey Watchman. SSR is piped in from a NATS site, usually Claxby, Lincs or occasionally Great Dun Fell, Cumbs.

[Pole Hill]

Thanks Mooncrest :ok:
POL

[Widger]

Well, as the Claxby has been switched off, to be replaced, that may well account for it!

[Mooncrest]

Hmm,

That might cause a few coverage issues for one or two other airports. I may be wrong but I believe Humberside and East Midlands also use(d) SSR from Claxby. Presumably there is some sort of redundancy plan to provide for these situations.

[BTriple7]

LBA are currently using Great Dun Fell due to Claxby been u/s.

Since this has to 'look' over the Pennines it means LBA has poor SSR returns, or none at all for aicraft who are low level, and loose SSR returns on the commercial traffic when they are descending on the ILS.

[The Great Unwashed]

Oh dear,

So first LBA loses Claxby and now it appears the back up unit isn't all that good. Gawd knows what LBA must pay NATS for piping in their SSR data in the first place. Perhaps LBA would be better off in the long run with their own SSR head, providing a place can be found on the airfield to site it.

[almost professional]

EMA are using Clee Hill, which is our normal backup-coverage is OK, but not so good to north and east as Claxby
we did some trials with Debden as a back up-its usable but only just!

[Pole Hill]

Good Grief! I've just checked the location of Great Dun Fell on multimap.
It explains why Leeds Approach asked me if I was the primary contact 4 miles SE of Emley Moor TV mast, when they had given me a SSR squark.
POL

[Mooncrest]

It's beginning to look as though 'borrowing' SSR data from a remote site has its limitations for Approach Radar. Presumably these shortcomings are overcome by an airport having its own SSR head. Speaking of which, I'm surprised East Mids hasn't got its own yet. I know you folks have a Marconi primary. Come on MAG plc, put your hand in your pocket. Lucky Newcastle, I say. Their own SSR head and ground radar too. Can't be bad !

[almost professional]

to be honest having an SSR head on the airfield would be like icing on the cake!-coverage from Clee is pretty good and the times we are without any feed at all very rare-we also have the option of cottesmore primary as backup-so should never be without some form of radar cover(fingers crossed!)
should have smr at some point in not too distant future-still undergoing testing on site at the moment

[Evil J]

Mooncrest - yeah it just a shame about their pay/conditions/lack of CAS/management....need I go on?

a.pro - believe it when i see it approved and working!

SSR is over rated anyway, look at all the fun Coventry have without it...

[FullyFlapped]

Ahhhh ... this explains a lot !

And there was me thinking I must have a fault on that shiny new transponder !

FF :ok: