Radar Coverage on T9

[JT8D-17]

Hi all,

What are the range's of radar's in Ireland/France and Spain? I travel up and down T9 and T213 a fair bit and they can not be too far outside radar range. The route from TULTA to KORUL is about 60NM East of T9 and it has full VHF and Radar coverage. I am just interested how close T9/213 are to having the same.

If anybody has any maps of radar/VHF coverage around this area I would be interested also.

Thanks

[kcockayne]

I can't give you a definitive answer but, back in 2010 T9 was solely an Oceanic route with no VHF & no radar coverage. Things may have moved on since then!

[modessatcom]

This may help...


www.worldairops.com/NAT/docs/NAT_W_T9T16routes.pdf (http://www.worldairops.com/NAT/docs/NAT_W_T9T16routes.pdf)

[737aviator]

There seems to be a move on to expand radar/VHF coverage onto more of the Tango routes. I remember a few years ago Shanwick were asking aircraft to do VHF radio checks with Shannon and Madrid as they proceeded along T9. I'd be confident of being able to contact either Shannon or Madrid on VHF above FL300 at any point on T9 based on the few radio checks I heard. Reliable radar coverage would be harder to achieve I imagine, but with future technology like space based ADSB reception, it probably isn't required.

And recently Santa Maria Radar appear to have expanded coverage on T16, eliminating the requirement of a position report when entering T16 at Navix the last few times I used it. Around 80 miles north of Navix they terminate radar and VHF service.

[Roger That]

Radar coverage is incomplete across these routes, though I understand that NATS are looking to introduce ADS-B across this airspace in 2018, with work underway now.

[rab-k]

A combination of Shannon, Brest and Madrid radars provide complete coverage for T9, up to what altitude I couldn't say, however VHF comms. are not always possible for the entire route. (Brest will on occasion have VHF problems west of 008W depending upon conditions, therefore the same 'overlap' achieved by radar isn't always possible).


There was talk a while back about trying to establish ADS-B ground stations in the vicinity to enable a surveillance service to be provided by ATC, in addition to the procedural one provided at present, but I believe the planned introduction of SATCOM-based ADS-B in the NAT Region has overtaken such proposals.

[30W]

I believe the planned introduction of SATCOM-based ADS-B in the NAT Region has overtaken such proposals.

Indeed it has, however the cost and timescale of retrofit for operators that only use MNPS for the Tangos will make the use of them unachievable. Most if not all types that utilise these routes are not Satnav/ADS-B equipped!