Ground radar (air traffic control)
As ground penetrating radar (also:. Airfield surveillance radar, engl SMR Surface Movement Radar ) or the run-up are on the radar radar designated based systems principle, the monitoring of the positions of aircraft and vehicles on the runways of an airfield used. Ground radar is one of the taxi guidance systems .
Ground radar systems are used in particular when a visual control of the traffic - for example through fog - is no longer possible. The machine recording of the vehicles and aircraft on the taxiways also enables the processor-supported processing of the resulting data and thus the automated warning of potentially dangerous situations on the taxiway or, if necessary, a runway .
A primary radar system is the basis of a typical ground radar system . Such systems are able to locate aircraft and vehicles, but identification is not possible. For this reason, another system, a secondary radar system, can be used. This then enables the desired identification of appropriately equipped aircraft and ground vehicles.
Alternatives
Vehicles and aircraft can also be positioned on airfields using induction loops embedded in the floor . However, since there is no continuous monitoring here, this method is not a full replacement for a ground penetrating radar system. For reasons of cost, it is still used on smaller areas with no or only a few crossing taxiways. In these cases, only a limited number of potential danger points and situations need to be covered, so that continuous monitoring does not appear necessary.
Currently (as of 2006), a roller guidance system based on magnetic field sensors is still in the experimental stage.