Reporter complains about time radar outages are scheduled.

Attributes
ACN	135386
Time
Date	199001
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : btv
State Reference	VT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 17
ASRS Report	135386
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

The FAA at btv regularly schedules radar shut-downs for maintenance weekdays between XA00 to XB00 because that is when the technicians are here. This maintenance could and should be scheduled for sunday mornings before noon when traffic is extremely light. The FAA won't schedule it for sunday to save sunday pay for the technicians. I believe it is extremely dangerous to operate without the radar. We have military aircraft helicopters, flight schools, scheduled airlines, and air taxies in our area. Non radar procedures require extensive delays so everyone cancels and we end up with a real mix of traffic all wandering around VFR getting no radar service. In the past we have had system errors during non radar periods. It is dangerous!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT TIME RADAR OUTAGES ARE SCHEDULED.

Narrative: THE FAA AT BTV REGULARLY SCHEDULES RADAR SHUT-DOWNS FOR MAINT WEEKDAYS BETWEEN XA00 TO XB00 BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN THE TECHNICIANS ARE HERE. THIS MAINT COULD AND SHOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY MORNINGS BEFORE NOON WHEN TFC IS EXTREMELY LIGHT. THE FAA WON'T SCHEDULE IT FOR SUNDAY TO SAVE SUNDAY PAY FOR THE TECHNICIANS. I BELIEVE IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE RADAR. WE HAVE MIL ACFT HELICOPTERS, FLT SCHOOLS, SCHEDULED AIRLINES, AND AIR TAXIES IN OUR AREA. NON RADAR PROCS REQUIRE EXTENSIVE DELAYS SO EVERYONE CANCELS AND WE END UP WITH A REAL MIX OF TFC ALL WANDERING AROUND VFR GETTING NO RADAR SERVICE. IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD SYSTEM ERRORS DURING NON RADAR PERIODS. IT IS DANGEROUS!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.