Radar Control Service in ARUBA

Beatrix Approach without Radar in the New Millennium.

In 1997 the Radar-project has been terminated in Aruba. The Radar antenna consists of
a PRIMARY and a SECONDARY ( SSR ) antenna.
The SSR can be upgraded to MODE-S, so that in the future it may be used for Data Link Communication.

The operatimal Radar range for the Primary Radar is 60 nautical miles and the Secondary Radar is 250 nautical miles. A product of Westinghouse, nowadays known as NORTHDROP GRUMMAN.
Together with the Radar Data Processing System ( RDP ), there is a Flight Data Processing System ( FDP ). The FDP is connected to the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network
( AFTN ), so that all flight plan information is transmitted and received via that system.
The FDP works in conjunction with the Automatic Strip Printer ( FSP ), thus all strips will be printed automatically to the Control Rooms concerned.
In the Radar Approach Control Office there are two ( 2 ) 25' radar-monitor and one ( 1 ) 19' monitor. There are also two positions for the Flight Data Processing Systems and two Flight strip Printers.

In the Control Tower, there is a Brite-display, 14' and a 19' Radar-monitor, one ( 1 ) Flight Data processing system and two ( 2 ) Flightstrip printers. 23 ATCO's did finish the Radar course in Miami at the Panam Int'l Flight Acadamy, during the last 8 years.

P.S.

Please consider this info as NICE to know, since 1999, the Radar at Beatrix is not even in the air and till the date of today, the government could not do anything to help with the progress to bring the radar in service. The ABA-VOR/DME, BEA-VOR/DME, IBE-ILS is OUT of service until further notice. Operations are being controlled ONLY into VMC Conditions, all arriving aircrafts to expect a visual approach, in case of heavy rain, low visibility or any other matter that can change the weather, Air Traffic Controllers are forced to send Arriving aircrafts to ALTERNATES, we apologies for the inconvenience and we hope that the airliners can understand our situations during the very busy week-ends !