Narrative:

This airport (easterwood field, college station, tx cll) is a regional airport that serves a wide variety of commercial (schedule air carrier's), business, military, military training, and light GA aircraft. There is no radar service available to the airspace. ZHU's radar coverage only extends down to 3000 ft MSL due to equipment and terrain limitations. Due to the high concentration of training aircraft (military and civilian), the local controllers are often over-tasked by having to provide navigation services to pilots that are disoriented (read that: lost). This situation is further aggravated by the lack of easily recognizable landmarks, differences in training levels and phraseology, and the use of both UHF and VHF communications. A radar display (either a remote display or BRITE system) would greatly enhance safety and reduce the potential for midair collisions. This is an on-going problem. Because the pilots are usually in a training environment (both military and civilian) this problem repeats itself on a regular basis. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter flies regularly into cll and is concerned with the complex aircraft type and pilot experience level mix. Reporter believes tower radar availability would enhance user service.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTR CONCERNED WITH CLL ARPT'S TFC VOLUME AND LACK OF ZHU RADAR COVERAGE TO THE SURFACE SO AS TO PROVIDE A MORE COMPLETE SVC TO THE USER -- MIL, CIVIL AND ACR.

Narrative: THIS ARPT (EASTERWOOD FIELD, COLLEGE STATION, TX CLL) IS A REGIONAL ARPT THAT SERVES A WIDE VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL (SCHEDULE ACR'S), BUSINESS, MIL, MIL TRAINING, AND LIGHT GA ACFT. THERE IS NO RADAR SVC AVAILABLE TO THE AIRSPACE. ZHU'S RADAR COVERAGE ONLY EXTENDS DOWN TO 3000 FT MSL DUE TO EQUIP AND TERRAIN LIMITATIONS. DUE TO THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF TRAINING ACFT (MIL AND CIVILIAN), THE LCL CTLRS ARE OFTEN OVER-TASKED BY HAVING TO PROVIDE NAV SVCS TO PLTS THAT ARE DISORIENTED (READ THAT: LOST). THIS SIT IS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY THE LACK OF EASILY RECOGNIZABLE LANDMARKS, DIFFERENCES IN TRAINING LEVELS AND PHRASEOLOGY, AND THE USE OF BOTH UHF AND VHF COMS. A RADAR DISPLAY (EITHER A REMOTE DISPLAY OR BRITE SYS) WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE SAFETY AND REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MIDAIR COLLISIONS. THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROB. BECAUSE THE PLTS ARE USUALLY IN A TRAINING ENVIRONMENT (BOTH MIL AND CIVILIAN) THIS PROB REPEATS ITSELF ON A REGULAR BASIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FLIES REGULARLY INTO CLL AND IS CONCERNED WITH THE COMPLEX ACFT TYPE AND PLT EXPERIENCE LEVEL MIX. RPTR BELIEVES TWR RADAR AVAILABILITY WOULD ENHANCE USER SVC.

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.