WORD LIST

RADAR

UNIT 6

WORD LIST

FLIGHT INFORMATIOM REGIONS IN THE UK

This is the whole area under the jurisdiction of a control centre, abbreviated to FIR, for airspace extending from the surface to 24,500ft (FL245). At and above FL245 the region is known as an Upper Information Region, abbreviated to UIR. The perimeter of an FIR/UIR is known as the boundary.

United Kingdom airspace consists of two Flight Information Regions, with separation between the two at latitude 55 degrees North. The Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre at Prestwick covers the Scottish region (Scottish FIR) including Northern Ireland, and the London Area and Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton covers England and Wales (London FIR). Southern Ireland is controlled by the Shannon Air Traffic Control Centre. Surrounding UK airspace to the south and east are the regions of other European countries, and to the north and west the ocean areas are controlled by Reykjavik Oceanic Control and Shanwick Oceanic Control respectively.

At Manchester there is an Area Air Traffic Control Centre which deals with traffic below FL175 in the Manchester area.

Radar is used at each control suite to monitor the progress of flights. The radar screen displays a map of the airways and reporting points for the particular sector, plus, of course, the position of aircraft within radar range. In addition, aircraft equipped with a transponder are interrogated by a radio signal for an identification ‘squawk’, which is then shown alongside the aircraft position. The identify ‘label’ shows the aircraft callsign, height and destination on the radar display. The radar receiving stations, and the VHF radio transmitters, are located in various parts of the UK, the signals being passed between the centre and the remote stations by land line.

Radar and radio transmissions are continuously recorded and held for a period of 30 days in case there is any need for investigation of any particular incident.

The systems and technology in use today for air traffic control are highly copmlex and sophisticated.

When a radar service is not available, pilots can request a ‘procedural’ (non-radar) service, in which pilots are provided with standard separation details based on the information given by pilots on positions and levels.