Traffic cop
The Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) receives position data from an Airport Surveillance Radar Model 9 (ASR9) system, which pinpoints landing aircraft, and a Surveillance and Communications Interface Processor (SCIP).
The Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) receives position data from
an Airport Surveillance Radar Model 9 (ASR-9) system, which pinpoints landing
aircraft, and a Surveillance and Communications Interface Processor (SCIP).
The radar tracks the aircraft to predict where it will land and determines
whether it is in the path of another aircraft or vehicle. That data is transferred
through the Terminal Automation Interface Unit (TAIU) to the AMASS processor.
Separately, an Airport Surface Detection Equipment Model 3 (ASDE-3) radar
searches the ground from the top of an air traffic control tower to detect
vehicles and aircraft on the runways. If a collision is possible, an audio
alarm sounds and a visual alert appears on the controller's AMASS display.
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