Radar Love
Before instrument landing systems, military pilots relied on controllers to steer them right to the runway.
- By Robert P. Mark
- Air & Space magazine, March 2012
The author at Wethersfield, England, in 1969, and an early Super Sabre.
Courtesy Robert P. Mark; USAF; Photo-illustration By Théo
(Page 2 of 2)
“Pop 21, this is your Wethersfield final controller,” Mahoney said as the first aircraft neared the glideslope intercept point. “How do you hear me?” The pilot acknowledged, and Mahoney told him that for a few minutes, he’d be doing all the talking. He’d provide headings and altitudes, and the pilot had just one task: Fly them precisely.
“Six miles from touchdown, begin descent now, maintain present heading.” The pilot lowered flaps and landing gear and squeezed some power off to begin a 500-feet-per-minute descent. “On glidepath, turn right three degrees. Four miles from touchdown, now dropping 100 feet low on the glidepath. Check gear down, you are cleared to land.”
The radar blip flew level for a few seconds and intercepted the glidepath, which only we could see (instrument landing system displays in fighter cockpits were well in the future). “Now on course, on glidepath, two miles from touchdown. Drifting slightly right of course, turn left two degrees, on glidepath.” Mahoney barely took a breath. “Approaching decision height, on course. You should see the approach lights. Take over visually and land.” Two seconds later the pilot reported in: “Pop 21’s on the ground.”
With barely time for a “Roger,” Mahoney made radio contact with Pop 22, seven miles out, and guided him back home safely, followed by Pop 23. We—Mahoney mostly—kept this up, bringing in more aircraft for nearly an hour until a relief controller finally showed up. He’d been delayed on the road trying to find the GCA shack in the dense fog.
After all three of the F-100s were down, one of the pilots came back on the radio: “Thanks, GCA. You’re my hero.” At age 18 I was hooked. I wanted to be like Sergeant Mahoney and talk airplanes down like he did: effortlessly—or so it seemed. During my training I watched GCA controllers bring down airplanes in zero ceilings and zero horizontal visibility. Under those conditions, a pilot’s only other option was punching out over the North Sea.
Ground-controlled approach duty taught me many now-extinct terms: I learned about the “main bang” (the center of the radar display), and how to get a pilot to “squawk his parrot” (turn his transponder radar beacon to a discrete code). Aligning the GCA’s precision radar in a darkened trailer by just feeling the controls that I’d learned the locations of in my sleep, I was able to pass my final exam.
I never forgot what Sergeant Mahoney and the other senior controllers taught me at Wethersfield. By the time my orders to leave England came in 1970, I had even managed to win a few thanks from pilots myself.
Comments (10)
That is a great story about an approach which as a civilian pilot, you rarely shoot!
Although once, I had the opportunity to make a GCA at a military airfield, but that was on a clear blue sky and with full instruments available. Not really the same thing compared to landing in zero vis, but a great thing to do just being directed by the voice of the controller and end up at the centerline of the runway!
Posted by Niko Steensels on March 21,2012 | 11:13 AM
That is a great story about an approach which as a civilian pilot, you rarely shoot!
Although once, I had the opportunity to make a GCA at a military airfield, but that was on a clear blue sky and with full instruments available. Not really the same thing compared to landing in zero vis, but a great thing to do just being directed by the voice of the controller and end up at the centerline of the runway!
Posted by Niko Steensels on March 21,2012 | 11:13 AM
I am a now-retired profesional (civilian) pilot. However, over the course of my career, I had the need to shoot several Par(GCA) approaches at RCAF Station cold Lake in northern Alberta (Canada).
Posted by Robert McDonald on March 22,2012 | 04:07 PM
As a retired Air Force enlisted Air Traffic Controller (1960 - 1981) I thoroughly enjoyed "Radar Love" by Robert Mark. My first assignment after tech school at Keesler AFB was Itazuke AB, Japan where I "cut my teeth" on F-100s and, later, F-105s. Many of the Non-Commissioned Officers I worked with had served in WW II as Commissioned bomber, fighter, and glider pilots. My On-The-Job-Training Instructor started his military career as an Army Rifleman during the Korean War. My first Crew Chief served in WW II as a Marine, the Korean War as an Army Rifleman, and, during the later 1950s, in the Navy. My only criticism of the article concerns Robert Mark's description of the incorrect phraseology used by SMSgt Mahoney. I was taught that Air Traffic Control phraseology, just as with operating procedures and separation rules, was precise and exacting. The "old heads" I worked for did not tolerate the use of non-standard phraseology and really came down hard on any controller who violated separation rules. "Knowing the book" and skillfully applying prescribed phraseology, separation rules, and other procedures was a point of pride and taken quite seriously by all the controllers I knew.
Posted by Terry Bowman on March 23,2012 | 02:25 PM
While writing this story was certainly fun, the process of simply going back in time recalling everything that happened so long ago was just as much of a hoot.
But who is that young Sergeant in the photo with the funny hat? I seem to remember seeing him somewhere.
Rob
Posted by Rob Mark on March 23,2012 | 05:02 PM
This article really brings back some neat memories.
In the spring of 1957 I was a 19 year old USAF Airman 2nd Class who graduated from ATC School at Kessler AFB and was then stationed at the USAF AirBase at RAF Station Manston at Margate, England (located along the English Channel in Kent north of Dover). I was one of those "enlisted kids" GCA controllers and had considerable experience in "talking the jet jockeys down". We worked primarily with USAF F-84 & F-89 aircraft that were conducting air defense day & night time surveillance missions over central Europe. I do remember one specific mission where I was the final approach controller for a RAF (Royal AirForce) Vulcan bomber that needed to make an emergency landing because of a low engine oil indicator.
In May 2000, I was able to return to the Margate area while on vacation in the UK. The airfield now is a commercial facility but some of the living quarters AND the Control Tower of the 1957 time frame were still there. Lots of nostalgia!
As Bob Hope always said: "Thanks for the Memories."
Posted by Bob Hackney on March 29,2012 | 05:12 AM
I read the article & it brought back a lot of nostalgia. I, too, was a USAF air traffic controller 1964-1968. While stationed in Korat, Thailand, as a 20 yr old GCA controller, I talked down hundreds of aircraft, mostly F-105's returning from bomb runs on North VietNam. It was both exhilarating & satisfying after the recovery. Most came back shot-up, hydraulic failures, with hung ordinance and low on gas. They needed to land regardless of the weather & we were the last link to getting on the ground. I loved the job enough to spend 30 years doing it with the air force and FAA.
Thanks for the article and walk down memory lane.
Posted by Stan Bartlett on March 30,2012 | 10:48 PM
Great article!! I truly reminisced the early days of my ATC career. I vividly remember tech school at Keeseler AFB and Cody Hall where I learned the profession. I was on the "D" shift (midnight to 6 am) mostly throughout the course.
Posted by Jerry Torres (JT) on April 17,2012 | 08:25 AM
Relived memories - having been a F-100 pilot based at RAF Lakenheath (30 mi. north of Weathersfield) for 3 years and many GCA approaches. One of which, in 1963, was in zero vizability in a driving thunderstorm (the F-100 rain removal system was not effective in heavy rain). We were returning from a training flight for some practice formation low approaches and realized in the storm that we could not see the runway at minimums (200 feet), so we split up for full stops. However, after the split my radio failed so I was left with the option of the NDB approach (3 trys) at 400 ft. minimums, and I never saw the field. With low fuel I headed to my alternate (the storm was headed there too) but it came to me to check the NDB box and switch to voice - and, sure enough, there was the old senior controller talking to me. I landed in zero vizability and the GCA unit received an "aircraft save award" - and a bottle of JD from me.
Posted by David Diffenderfer on May 8,2012 | 02:34 PM
In the late 1980's I was on a tour at Little Rock Air Force Base. We went by the GCA facility just off the flightline near the tower. I remember how impressed I was to see a young blonde haired controller about 19 or 20 years old talk down a C-130. Awesome bunch of folks.
Posted by James Roberts on May 11,2012 | 03:07 PM