Vocabulary

Echo	The aircraft as seen on the radar scope. Also called blip or target (see below).
To reflect	To return heat, light or sound. In this lesson it is the radio signal that is returned or reflected back to a receiver.
Bearing	The angle between a direction (object, radio emission, etc.) and a reference direction as determined at the place of the observer.
Pulse	A single beat or vibration of sound, light, radio or radar.
Primary radar	A radio detection device which, by use of reflected radio signals, provides information on range and azimuth of objects.
Secondary surveillance radar	A radar system wherein a radio signal transmitted by a ground interrogator initiates the transmission of a radio signal from an airborne transponder. With secondary surveillance radar additional information may be fed into the radar scope such as the identification of the aircraft, its altitude and ground speed in knots.
rpm	Revolutions per minute.
To scan; the scanner	To sweep or to search by means of radar. The scanner is the aerial assembly which, by rotating, scans the area to be searched. The scan is the movement of the scanner.
Target	Meaning the aircraft as seen in the radar scope. It is also called echo or blip (see above).
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)	Another word for radar scope or radar display or PPI.
Terminal Area Surveillance Radar (TAR)	Aerodrome radar. Also called airport surveillance radar.
To track	To follow the movement of an aircraft.
En-Route Surveillance Radar (RSR)	Also called area / airways radar.
PAR	Precision Approach Radar.
GCA	Ground Controlled Approach.

CONVERSATION

Is the echo an aircraft as seen on the scope? What does an echo represent on the radar scope? What is another word for echo? And another?
Is your face reflected in a mirror? Can light be reflected? Can a ball be reflected? What can be reflected?
Can a compass show you your bearing? Can an altimeter show your bearing? What shows you your bearing? Who is interested in knowing the bearing of an aircraft at an aerodrome?
If I touch my wrist, can I feel my pulse? When I run, my pulse is fast? Does modern radar have a pulse? Is the pulse principle important in modern radar? Is the pulse principle a new concept in radar? At what period in history was the pulse principle introduced into radar?
Was primary radar the first type of radar? Is primary radar still used in civil aviation? When was primary radar first used in aviation? Do you only see the aircraft with primary radar? Do you only see a mountain with primary radar? Is primary radar the most advanced type of radar? What type of radar is primary radar?
When we talk about radar do we mean primary and secondary? Is secondary surveillance radar a more advanced type of radar than primary? Does secondary surveillance radar only show the aircraft on the scope? What does secondary radar show on the scope? Tell me the difference between primary and secondary radar? What does SSR stand for?
Rpm is an abbreviation for revolutions per minute? Are 6 rpm's faster than 3 rpm's? Does a pilot watch the rpm's of the engine? If the rpm's of his engine slow up, what is happening to his engine? Does an antenna rotate at a speed of 3 rpm's?
When I scan a page in this book I look quickly at the page in order to find something. Did I scan the page? Did I read every word? What did I do? Will you read every word in this sentence? Why didn't you scan the sentence? Because you read every word. When would you scan a page? Do you look quickly at the page when you scan it? Does a radar antenna scan an aircraft slowly or quickly? Is a scanner an antenna? Does the scanner rotate? Does a scanner rotate in the direction of the aircraft? Who uses the scanner? Why does a controller use the scanner? Is a scan a movement of the scanner? Are there pulses in each scan? Do pulses hit an aircraft in each scan? Can pulses hit an aircraft 16 times in each scan? 34 times? How many pulses are there in each scan?
Can a target be seen on a radar scope? Is a target an aircraft? Does the scanner pick up a target? Is a mountain a target? What is a target? What is another word for target?
Is a Cathode Ray Tube another word for radar scope? Is the Cathode Ray Tube in the control tower? Are there many Cathode Ray Tubes in the control tower? Does a controller see the targets on the Cathode Ray Tube? What are other words for Cathode Ray Tube? What is the abbreviation for Cathode Ray Tube?
Is terminal area surveillance radar a primary type radar? Is terminal area surveillance radar at most airports? Does terminal area surveillance radar control the traffic at the airport? Does terminal area surveillance radar control the traffic en-route? In the airways? What traffic does terminal area surveillance radar control? What is the range of TAR?
A controller who follows an aircraft on his radar scope tracks an aircraft. Does he track an aircraft on his radar scope? Does he track mountainous terrain? Birds? Clouds? What does he track on his radar scope? On what does a controller track an aircraft?
Is en-route surveillance radar known as RSR? Is en-route surveillance radar known as long range radar? Airways? Area? Aerodrome? What is en-route surveillance radar known as? What controller tracks an aircraft with RSR? Is RSR at all reporting points? What can a controller track with RSR?
Is PAR an abbreviation for Precision Approach Radar? What is PAR short for?
Is GCA short for Ground Controlled Approach? Is GCA similar to PAR? What is GCA short for?