Passengers flying to Augusta Regional Airport in the coming weeks won't notice the airport's new $7.5 million radar system.
But they don't need to see it to know that it's keeping them safe, according to Augusta Air Traffic Manager Mike Gunn.
The federally funded system will be ready to start scanning Augusta's skies by the middle of this month, Mr. Gunn said.
"The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) made a big investment in Augusta," Mr. Gunn said during a recent presentation to the Augusta Aviation Commission. "It's one I'm very excited about."
Typically reserved for larger airports, the Aerial Surveillance Radar-11 is a sizable upgrade over the existing ASR-8 radar system, which uses older analog technology.
Instead of "blobs" of precipitation on the radar screen, Mr. Gunn said controllers now will be able to tell the severity of the storm and give pilots more accurate information when flying near Augusta. In addition to a clearer picture of area airspace, the new system also expands the radar's range to about 60 miles.
"We will have superior radar coverage in places that we've never had in the past," he said.
Whereas the old system was bound to Bush Field by wires and cables, Mr. Gunn said the ASR-11 new digital technology has allowed the airport to construct it almost four miles away on Mack Lane near Tobacco Road.
The site is situated at 400 feet above sea level and gives the radar an unobstructed view of Augusta's airspace.
Crews will be able to service the system electronically via computer. The system also will allow controllers to view a plane's location and the weather simultaneously, an impossibility with the current system.
Mr. Gunn said part of the reason the airport was able to secure funding for the site was that officials moved quickly to secure the Mack Lane site.
"We fell into it by being lucky," Mr. Gunn said.
Reach Adam Folk at (706) 823-3339
WHAT IT IS
Augusta Regional Airport's new radar, the ASR-11, is a digital upgrade with primary and secondary surveillance systems. The primary radar uses a continuously rotating antenna to track aircraft for up to 60 miles. The secondary radar helps to verify the aircraft location and to identify aircraft in distress.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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