LARS | Southend (EGMC)¶
Responsibility¶
MC RAD is responsible for the provision of a Lower Airspace Radar Service (LARS) to traffic operating outside of controlled airspace within 25 NM of Southend.
When bandboxed with MC DIR, provision of the LARS function is at the controller’s discretion and when provided must not adversely affect the primary approach radar service to traffic inbound/outbound Southend.
Farnborough LARS (125.250) will delegate traffic operating in the vicinity of Southend to MC RAD as outlined below.
Farnborough LARS Sectors and Delegation to Southend LARS
Provision of UK Flight Information Services¶
UK FIS shall be provided outside controlled airspace in accordance with CAP 774. Standard traffic information thresholds and deconfliction minima are to be used. Reduced horizontal radar separation of 3 NM is approved for use against appropriately identified and coordinated traffic provided both radar tracks are within 40 NM of Southend. Outside of these limits 5 NM separation must be used at all times.
Controllers must not provide a Deconfliction Service, or headings under a Traffic Service, to aircraft below SMAA levels or minimum sector altitudes.
Service Limitations¶
When providing a surveillance derived service, there may be circumstances that prevent controllers from passing timely traffic information and/or deconfliction advice. Examples include high workload, areas of high traffic density, service against aircraft conducting high energy manoeuvres, or when traffic is not displayed to the controller. Controllers shall inform the pilot of reductions in traffic information along with the reason and the probable duration. However, it is recognised it may not always be possible to provide these warnings in a timely fashion.
The following paragraphs outline situations that should cause controllers to consider warning of reduced service provision with example phraseology.
In high workload situations, which may not always be apparent from RT loading, it may not be possible for controllers to always provide timely traffic information and/or deconfliction advice. High workload situations may not necessarily be linked to high traffic density.
Radiotelephony
reduced traffic information due to controller workload.
High traffic density can cause difficulty interpreting surveillance system data and may affect RT loading or controller workload to the extent that they are unable to pass timely traffic information and/or deconfliction advice on all traffic.
Radiotelephony
approaching an area of high traffic density, possible late or no warning of traffic for the next X miles.
Where aircraft are operating close to the lateral and/or vertical limits of solid surveillance system cover, or close to a radar overhead, there is the potential for conflicting traffic to be detected late. When very close to the limits of surveillance cover the service should be downgraded to a Basic Service.
Radiotelephony
reduced traffic information from the left/right for the next X miles due to the limits of surveillance/radar coverage.
Radiotelephony
Basic Service, you are nearing the edge of my surveillance/radar coverage.
Radiotelephony
Basic Service, you are outside my area of surveillance/radar coverage.
Provision of Warnings and Preventing Controlled Airspace Infringement¶
Subject to workload, controllers should provide warning of airspace hazards to all identified traffic regardless of service type. However, the primary task of providing traffic information and/or deconfliction advice to traffic operating under a radar service should not be compromised by the provision of these warnings.
When warnings involve the provision of routing advice controllers must consider relevant SMAA levels or minimum sector altitudes. Traffic operating below these levels should only be provided generic advice and should not be radar vectored. If a controller deems a situation urgent enough to warrant or a pilot requests a specific radar vector then the controller must provide a terrain warning and, if vectoring is to be continued, a climb to a terrain safe level.
Identified traffic should be radar monitored when operating in close proximity to controlled airspace boundaries. Traffic which is within 2 NM of a controlled airspace boundary and on an observed track that would result in infringement should be informed of the airspace ahead and provided advice on how to remain clear.
Traffic which is observed to infringe controlled airspace (including vertically into the London TMA) must be immediately informed and provided advice on how to leave controlled airspace in the most expeditious manner. Controllers must take care to ensure any advice provided does not result in a course of action that degrades observed separation against traffic operating within controlled airspace. Additionally, controllers must coordinate traffic which has infringed controlled airspace with the controlling unit at the earliest opportunity providing sufficient detail to allow rapid radar identification by the other controller and allow a reduction in the separation minima from those for unknown to those for known traffic. The controlling unit may pass instructions via MC RAD or may request the traffic be transferred to their frequency.
Of all the airspace warnings provided by MC RAD, warnings relating to infringement of controlled airspace must take the highest priority.
Traffic Operating in the Vicinity of Biggin Hill¶
IFR traffic joining/leaving the ATS route network from/for Biggin Hill will route outside of controlled airspace while within the vicinity of Biggin Hill. The Biggin Hill ATZ is 2.5 NM in diameter however it does not fully contain instrument procedures and IFR traffic is generally operating outside of controlled airspace in the region 5 NM from Biggin Hill.
Specific traffic flows are IFR inbounds which route via the ILS approach to Runway 21, establishing on the ILS inside the London City CTR/CTA before leaving controlled airspace at 6 NM on final, and IFR outbounds, which route west to join the ATS route network via DET following either a right-hand climb-out from Runway 21 back through the Biggin Hill (BIG) overhead or a northeast climb-out from Runway 03 with a right-hand turn on track. There are no instrument approach procedures defined for Runway 03 and traffic which is landing on Runway 03 will route via the Runway 21 ILS before performing a visual circle-to-land to the west of Biggin Hill (left-hand downwind for Runway 03).
These procedures take place within a bottleneck formed by the London/London City CTR/CTA and the Gatwick CTR/CTA and there are frequent transits of this region by traffic outside of controlled airspace. Traffic to/from Biggin Hill will be transferred between Biggin Hill ATC and TC Thames which introduces additional risk should a confliction occur while the Biggin Hill IFR traffic is changing frequency. Additionally, the Biggin Hill IFR traffic is often in a position of low manoeuvrability while in the initial climb-out/final approach phases of flight.
Because of these factors, and to assist TC Thames/Biggin Hill ATC with achieving deconfliction for IFR flight joining/leaving the ATS route network, MC RAD:
- Should coordinate all flights under their control within the region within 10 NM of Biggin Hill,
- Must coordinate any flights under their control routing through the airspace north of Biggin Hill/south of London City which will conflict with the Biggin Hill Runway 21 ILS.
Traffic under a Basic Service should be coordinated with Biggin Approach (129.405), traffic under a Traffic/Deconfliction Service should be coordinated with TMS DIR (132.700). Either unit may request traffic be transferred to their frequency.