This question is addressed to all GA pilots who often land at smaller airports.What can you say about the radar coverage? How often are you forced to perform full IFR approach because there is no radar? I need this info for the talk I am going to give in conjunction with the Langley paper "A method of separation assurance for instrument flight procedures at non-radar airports".

This question is addressed to all GA pilots who often land at smaller airports.What can you say about the radar coverage? How often are you forced to perform full IFR approach because there is no radar? I need this info for that talk I am going to have in conjunction with the Langley paper "A method of separation assurance for instrument flight procedures at non-radar airports".

I would say an easy 30% of the time. However, a majority of our flying is in the Rocky Mountain states. However, even when based in Texas several airports required full procedures due to radar. But it was about 5% of all flights. Kerrville, TX is a good example even though it is close to Austin & San Antonio. John

NE and SE are mostly radar covered. Out of probably 80+ approaches in actual I have NEVER once made a full approach procedure. EVER. That's out of a selection of probably 30 different airports within 500 NM though. Maybe I'm just not flying enough in the mountainous areas like John? :(BTW Michael, I'd be interested in reading that paper!

Just as common (obviously), but a tad more troublesome, are starting instrument flights from airports not well covered. You file by phone and are given a time-limit in which to takeoff, climb and contact ATC. More times than not, you're in the clouds before the forecast ceilings would have you planning for.

Good info John and Zach, this is exactly what I have been looking for.Thanks.(Zach, I have been reading the journal paper but it is rather disappointing, not exactly what you would have in mind)

I would say here in the inland empire and the Pacific Northwest I only had to make one and that was because of a radar outage. Even though there is mountains everywhere radar does a pretty good job of covering it all.Radar won't matter too much soon though we are all going to ADS-B in 10 years and those 10 years will go by fast!http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2010...t_10_years.html

This question is addressed to all GA pilots who often land at smaller airports.What can you say about the radar coverage? How often are you forced to perform full IFR approach because there is no radar? I need this info for the talk I am going to give in conjunction with the Langley paper "A method of separation assurance for instrument flight procedures at non-radar airports".

Michael. I would say as an ex Air Traffic Controller that ATC exists on CONUS and beyond 100%. Europe, Asia and anywhere but the Polar Caps is a fair assumption I would think.I believe that there is now a type of GPS and Squawk Codes along with two way communications that will serve most anywhere, even for transoceanic journeys. Perhaps that is why they disabled LORANIn my mind, the reality is at anything much past 10,000 you can talk to someone most anwhere, if not everywhere who will say, "...N12345 Squawk 1157"."N345, Radar contact. 116 Miles NW of XXX. Altimeter is 33.XX."Pilots will use other methods for Approach and Arrival if need be, but navigation via RADAR for all pilots, excluding perhaps ultra-lights and balloons. is a reality.Heh