Radar Questions

[prpjt]

I'm pretty much in Lead Sled's camp on the training issue. After reading several transcripts of weather related accidents, one really stuck with me. It went something like, " let's deviate to the left of that cell right there... it looks pretty thin to the left...shouldn't be in the precip but a minute or two." A lack of understanding of the equipment directly caused those deaths.. I can't remember what airline it was.

 

[Lead Sled]

So are you saying that a pilot w/out a radar is better than a pilot with a radar that is not properly trained to use it?

That's exactly what I'm saying.

I'm pretty much in Lead Sled's camp on the training issue. After reading several transcripts of weather related accidents, one really stuck with me. It went something like, " let's deviate to the left of that cell right there... it looks pretty thin to the left...shouldn't be in the precip but a minute or two." A lack of understanding of the equipment directly caused those deaths.. I can't remember what airline it was.

I believe the accident you are referring to was a few years back and happened to an experienced Metroliner crew. They got sucked in to the "radar shadow trap". You're right, it's actually happened quite a bit. One of the nastier accidents involved an experienced (but "self taught") DC-9 crew.

I've sat in too many radar classes and seen the reactions of the highly experienced "self-taught" airline and corporate pilots - it typically goes from "He can't teach me anything" to "dang, I didn't know that!" over a period of an hour or two. They then settle down for the rest of the class and learn how to use the thing with the rest of us dummies.

There's a lot to it - you've got to really understand what the tilt, range, and gain controls are doing. You've got to have a thorough understanding of attenuation and know what the STC range of your radar is (FYI, ours is 75 miles). You've got to understand what you're looking at when you see stuff on the screen. If you don't have a complete understanding of all of the above then, yes, I believe that you're safer not even turning the thing on.

Iflyabeech is right - it is all about being smart, but the smart guys get proper training.

'Sled

 

[iflyabeech]

I'm pretty much in Lead Sled's camp on the training issue. After reading several transcripts of weather related accidents, one really stuck with me. It went something like, " let's deviate to the left of that cell right there... it looks pretty thin to the left...shouldn't be in the precip but a minute or two." A lack of understanding of the equipment directly caused those deaths.. I can't remember what airline it was.

A lack of understanding, get there itis, and stupidity.