Class C - Separation by target resolution
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Class C - Separation by target resolution
Hi there,
Can someone tell me what is target resolution?
Aircraft Separation. Separation is provided within the Class C airspace and the outer area after two-way radio communications and radar contact are established. VFR aircraft are separated from IFR aircraft within the Class C airspace by any of the following:
1. Visual separation.
2. 500 feet vertical; except when operating beneath a heavy jet.
3. Target resolution.
1. Visual separation.
2. 500 feet vertical; except when operating beneath a heavy jet.
3. Target resolution.
Sounds like a fancy way of saying radar separation to me. Thought resolution had something to do with how big blips are at a certain range, which is dependent on the rotation speed of the antenna I think. Hence X miles separation from the centre of the blips provided the blips don't touch etc
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Southampton
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No, the target on the radar is far, far bigger than the actual size of the aeroplane, hence, in theory, if the blips do not merge the aircraft will not hit each other. If the blips do merge, they might!
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Toronto
Age: 57
Posts: 531
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The size of the radar target to be used is published in unit procedures (so no using a really small target size when they get close together
) and in our case its only within 7 miles of the airport so no worries about distance from the radar source causing issues.
) and in our case its only within 7 miles of the airport so no worries about distance from the radar source causing issues.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Under the Long White Cloud
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
soaringhigh650:
Size of Target: Depends on whether it is displayed on an old analogue screen (circular, with rotating sweep, primary radar only, like the now obsolete Marconi 264S) - in this case the radar blip will vary in size, being larger at the edge of the screen and getting smaller as it approaches the center. Most radars in use today have digital screens where the targets are synthetically generated and displayed on the screen. They all thus appear at the same size on the screen - though there are normally a range of sizes that the controller can set (for ease of reading the target labels). The so-called 'blips' on modern radar screens are processed into different shapes according to how the radar information was obtained: from primary radar only, from secondary radar only, or from both primary and secondary radars. The controller can thus readily determine from where an aircraft's radar return came.
The controllers job is to see that they do not let their 'controlled' targets get closer than the minimum separation (either lateral or vertical) distances. The targets can pass over each other if vertical separation exists.
Size of Target: Depends on whether it is displayed on an old analogue screen (circular, with rotating sweep, primary radar only, like the now obsolete Marconi 264S) - in this case the radar blip will vary in size, being larger at the edge of the screen and getting smaller as it approaches the center. Most radars in use today have digital screens where the targets are synthetically generated and displayed on the screen. They all thus appear at the same size on the screen - though there are normally a range of sizes that the controller can set (for ease of reading the target labels). The so-called 'blips' on modern radar screens are processed into different shapes according to how the radar information was obtained: from primary radar only, from secondary radar only, or from both primary and secondary radars. The controller can thus readily determine from where an aircraft's radar return came.
The controllers job is to see that they do not let their 'controlled' targets get closer than the minimum separation (either lateral or vertical) distances. The targets can pass over each other if vertical separation exists.
Some more questions for those using this procedure:
Thanks
- Is using "target resolution" an approved procedure?
- Between which category of aircraft can you use it?
- When can you use it? That is, when do you go down from the normal 3nm separation to target resolution?
Thanks
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ESMM
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Target Separation
As a Scandinavian controller, trained in England,
I would say target separation is:
"Two controlled primary targets, who met the defined separation minima, and deconflicted"(Or its some RAF separation minima standard)
I would guess you´re flying VFR G space, and would never encountered this rule.
I would say target separation is:
"Two controlled primary targets, who met the defined separation minima, and deconflicted"(Or its some RAF separation minima standard)
I would guess you´re flying VFR G space, and would never encountered this rule.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I guess this discussion really only applies if you're using primary radar displayed in fairly 'raw' form. As BaldEd points out, often these days the radar data is heavily processed and aircraft are represented by regular sized position symbols. The relationship between the location of the position symbol, the raw target and the actual aircraft has plenty of approximations already - I certainly wouldn't want to put primary position symbols closer than the required separation.
