XN000022-1978-11-26 — Page 4

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1978

NEW AIRCRAFT SURVEILLANCE RADAR ON MOUNT PARKER

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A NEW LONG-RANGE ROUTE SURVEILLANCE RADAR CAPABLE OF DETECTING THE POSITION OF AN AIRCRAFT 200 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY HAS RECENTLY BECOME FULLY OPERATIONAL AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF TEST RUNS.

THE RADAR ON MOUNT PARKER PROVIDES INFORMATION ON AIRCRAFT WITHIN HONG KONG'S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY AND IS CAPABLE OF UPDATING SUCH INFORMATION TO ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY RADIO CONTACTS WITH AIRCRAFT.

THE RADAR HAS BEEN SO DESIGNED THAT IT IS MONITORED AND CONTROLLED BY THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT THROUGH A REMOTE CONTROL LINK SYSTEM.

THE ROUTE SURVEILLANCE RADAR HAS THE ABILITY TO REJECT UNWANTED SIGNALS FROM GROUND, SEA, RAIN AND OTHER INTERFERENCE.

WITH A DATA UPDATING RATE OF NOT LESS THAN FIVE PER MINUTE, THE RADAR SIGNALS, AFTER PRIMARY PROCESSING AT THE STATION, ARE' SENT OVER A MICROWAVE LINK TO THE AIRPORT WHERE THEY ARE FED TO PLAN POSITION INDICATOR RADAR DISPLAYS AT THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE.

STAFF AT THE CENTRE OBTAIN THE AIRCRAFT POSITION INFORMATION FROM THE RADAR SCREEN.

BUILT ON THE SITE OF A PREVIOUS RADAR STATION, THIS RADAR HAS AN UNUSUAL SPECIAL FEATURE WHICH ALLOWS IT TO BE CONVERTED WITHIN 30 MINUTES TO OPERATE IN THE APPROACH MODE AND THUS ACTS AS A BACK-UP FOR THE EXISTING APPROACH SURVEILLANCE RADAR.

THE DISPLAYED RANGE IS THEN REDUCED TO 128 NAUTICAL MILES AND THE DATA UPDATING RATE IS INCREASED TO 10 PER MINUTE BY DOUBLING THE ANTENNA TURNING SPEED.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE NEW RADAR WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE LONG RANGE CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT FLYING ON THE AIR ROUTES TO AND FROM HONG KONG.

AT A CLOSER RANGE WITHIN 60 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE AIRPORT AIRCRAFT DETECTION AND CONTROL ARE DONE THROUGH A HIGH-RESOLUTION APPROACH RADAR ON BEACON HILL.

A SECONDARY SURVEILLANCE RADAR ON MOUNT PARKER PROVIDES FURTHER IDENTIFICATION AND POSITIVE ALTITUDE INFORMATION OF COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT.

ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE AIRPORT IS A PRECISION APPROACH RADAR WHICH CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE INFORMATION TO ENABLE AIRCRAFT WITHIN 10 NAUTICAL MILES TO LAND DURING POOR VISIBILITY.

+COMPLEMENTING ONE ANOTHER, THESE RADARS ENSURE A SAFE, EXPEDITIOUS AND ORDERLY FLOW OF THE HONG KONG AIR TRAFFIC, + ́ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.