A-SMGCS at UK Airfields

[NavMonkey]

Hi, quick question:

Which UK airfields have an A-SMGCS system installed and in operation? I have been made aware of Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stansted and Newcastle. Are there any others?

Many thanks!

NavMonkey

[Gonzo]

Birmingham I think.....

[Sir George Cayley]

If you mean a system as defined in the ICAO Manual of A-SMCGS then I'm sorry to say not one UK airport has this. But there again no one in the rest of the world either.

Switchable centerline lights, stopbars, SMR, RIMCAS etc all are part of an A-SMGCS but the all walking - all talking system is some way off.

The multilateration trials NATS are involved in at LHR have revealed multipath reflection problems. The small nodal millimetric wave radar system at NEMA is up and running but not providing added value yet. Luton is to trial something similar soon.

Internationally, lots of companies are building systems such as Siemens, Thorn, Honeywell and some Japanese research labs.

It will come, but until you have enhanced Spatial Awareness in-cockpit and the VCR and Ops Vehicles share this fused data, you aint got A-SMCGS:8

Sir George Cayley

[NavMonkey]

Thanks, interesting. So are any of the UK sites with installed kit actually being used operationally at the moment?

I can appreciate what you are getting at with regard to an all singing all dancing system, but I assume the current implementations are A-SMGCS Level I systems for enhanced ATC situational awareness?

Thanks again for the replies,

Cheers, NM.

[Gonzo]

That's what I thought, NavMonkey,

ASMGCS Level 1 has primary with secondary labels, Level 2 has added Runway incursion alerting systems and Levels 3 and 4 are more advanced than that.

[Spitoon]

I think you would find that a handful might claim level 1, two or three actively and realistically heading for level 2 but only when multilat is reliable and vehicles that go on the manoeuvring area are suitably equipped with co-operative sensors.

[Minesapint]

Heathrow soon, gatters next year with Stansted later. the sooner the better!

[discountinvestigator]

Many airports in the UK that have low visibility operations have surface/ground surveillance (usually radar) as well as centreline lighting, stopbars and runway incursion alarms.

However, it is not mandatory to have surveillance for low visibility operations. Remember, you can do low visibility departures without CAT III instrument landing systems etc.

Each airline has to audit the airport prior to carrying out low visibilty operations, but it is not always done.

There are problems with some of the runway incursion systems, but one seems to work well, provided that you tune the system and do not have significant multipath effects.

The ATC procedures/airport operator's procedures are not, in my opinion, adequate to make the runway incursion alarms as worthwhile as people think.

[TheOddOne]

BRU and AMS have Level2/3 systems. AMS in particular installed transponders in all their manoeuvring area vehicles and came up with a number of 250 installations. I thought that ridiculous, until I totted up the number we'd need at LGW and it comes out pretty much of that order. Amazing! That's just essential vehicles on the mauoeuvring area, NOT the Apron, so deosn't include catering trucks, baggage vehicles etc. Only Fire Appliances, Works vehicles, Operations vehicles, Snow kit and so on.

Labelling with current single SMR systems isn't very reliable, with labels often re-attaching themeselves to other fixtures & fittings. Multi-lateration isn't the whole answer, either.

Personally, I'd rather go for a GPS-based position-reporting system and cameras to read a/c registrations as they come off the runway. Fortunately, I'm only an interested bystander!

TOO

[UlsterPPL]

Hi all,

A year on since last reply. What is the current status of A-SMGCS and multilateration in terms of deployment, performance and usefulness for your ATC role at the airports? Especially, I would like to hear feedback from the major UK airports. I am writing a report on future technical strategy within the airport/ ATC domain for future roadmap and any contribution of information is very useful. Many thanks for your support.

[Minesapint]

I have more than a passing interest in these systems - PM me.

[BDiONU]

I am writing a report on future technical strategy within the airport/ ATC domain for future roadmap and any contribution of information is very useful.
If you're writing the TEP then, like my colleague who likes lots of pints ;), I'd be interested to hear from you.

BD

[UlsterPPL]

BD,

I am based at CTC, any chance to meet up for a coffee? It is just a study at the moment not as far as writing a TEP yet. :)

[WhatUMean]

many units might have a version of SMR, but only a few have the advanced version, and even then they have it in various stages. Which ever version, its a useful tool and a definate life saver, especially in LVPS, you only have to look at some of the near or disasters that have happened around the world at units that dont have some form of SMR.