Generic GCA V2 for FS9/FSX/P3D Now Available

[mjahn]

V2 uploaded to SOH and Flightsim.com:

Any older version will have to be removed/uninstalled for this one to work, but otherwise installation is faster and more economical.

Changes from V1 include:

- FS9 compatibility
- some new soundbites: APC to identify planned approach type (straight-in or downwind)
- intercept distance settable from 6 to 12 miles
- better APC > PAR handover
- more detailed AP readouts and functions
- revised PDF Manual

[Tom/CalClassic]

Hi all,

Thanks to Manfred for releasing this version, which is now FS2004 compatible.

Just thought you might want to know which airports in the US had such capability in the classic era, in case you want to use APC and/or PAR only where it was in real life.

There are two parts to the Generic GCA program, APC (Approach Pattern Control) and PAR (Precision Approach Radar). Many airports had APC, which guided you by using radar to an intercept of any runway at the airport. In addition, some had PAR as well, which talked you down right to the missed approach point. This was to a specific runway, which was almost always an ILS runway in this country (civil airports). Some military bases had APC and PAR as well.

The list below is the civil airports that had APC control in 1962/63. The runway is the ILS runway(s) at the airport (if present). PAR means that Precision Approach Radar was also available on that ILS runway. More complex arrangements are spelled out as ILS, PAR, or PAR ILS.

Albuquerque, NM Rwy 35 PAR
Austin, TX. Rwy 30
Burbank, CA Rwy 7
Colorado Springs, CO Rwy 35
Denver, CO Rwy 26L, 35
Hayward, CA
Long Beach, CA Rwy 30
Los Angeles, CA Rwy 25L/R PAR
Oakland, CA Rwy 29 PAR
Ogden, UT
Portland, OR Rwy 10 PAR
Salt Lake City, UT Rwy 34L/R
San Diego, CA Rwy 9
San Francisco, CA Rwy 28L/R PAR
San Jose, CA
Seattle, WA Rwy 34 ILS PAR, Rwy 16 PAR
Spokane, WA Rwy 21
Tucson, AZ
Akron, OH Rwy 1, 25
Albany, NY Rwy 19
Atlanta, GA Rwy 9 ILS PAR, Rwy 33 ILS
Atlanta, GA Fulton
Atlantic City, NJ Rwy 13 ILS PAR, Rwy 4, 31 PAR
Belmar, NJ Rwy 32 PAR no ILS
Binghamton, NY Rwy 34
Birmingham, AL Rwy 5
Boston, MA Rwy 4R ILS PAR Rwy 33 ILS
Buffalo, NY Rwy 23
Charleston, SC Rwy 15
Charleston, WV Rwy 23
Charlotte, NC Rwy 5
Chicago, IL Midway Rwy 13R PAR ILS Rwy 31L/R ILS
Chicago, IL O'Hare Rwy 14R, 27 PAR ILS Rwy 32L PAR Rwy 14L ILS
Cincinatti, OH Rwy 36
Cleveland, OH Rwy 5L PAR ILS Rwy 27 ILS
Columbus, OH Rwy 27L, 9L
Detroit, MI Willow Run Rwy 5L/R PAR
Ft, Wayne, IN Rwy 31
Greensboro, NC Rwy 14
Greenville, SC Rwy 36
Harrisburg, PA Rwy 8
Indianapolis, IN Rwy 4 PAR
Jacksonville, FL Rwy 5
Knoxville, TN Rwy 4L
Louisville, KY Rwy 1, 29
Macon, GA Rwy 5
Memphis, TN Rwy 9
Miami, FL Rwy 9L, 27L
Milwaukee, WI Rwy 1
Minneapolis, MN 29L PAR ILS Rwy 4 ILS
Montgomery, AL Rwy 9
Nashville, TN Rwy 2L
Newark, NJ Rwy 4 PAR ILS Rwy 22 ILS
New Orleans, LA Rwy 10
New York, NY La Guardia Rwy 4 PAR
New York, NY Idlewild Rwy 4R PAR ILS Rwy 22L ILS
Norfolk, VA Rwy 4
Orlando, FL Rwy 7
Philadelphia, PA Rwy 9 PAR
Pittsburgh, PA Rwy 28L PAR
Richmond, VA Rwy 6
Rochester, NY Rwy 28
St. Louis, MO Rwy 24 PAR
Toledo, OH Rwy 7
Washington, DC National Rwy 36 PAR
Washington, DC Dulles Rwy 1R PAR ILS Rwy 19R ILS
Wilkes Barre, PA Rwy 4

So 68 civil airports had APC, while 24 airports had PAR. Enjoy using the new program to simulate both kinds of approaches. To simulate APC approaches, just click off the APC when you reach the intercept point and PAR would normally take over. Then follow the ILS to the runway.

Hope this helps,

[Tom/CalClassic]

PS. In the approach plates, APC is designated as ASR - Approach Surveillance Radar. So there are two parts to a "Radar Approach" - ASR and PAR. Most airports only had ASR but (typically) the largest also had PAR.

[leutnantwerner]

Thank you guys!
Time to fire up Flight Simulator again.

Cheers
Bernie

[connieguy]

Experimental GCA system supplied by the U.S. military in use in Gander in 1946. See 'Lesson in Co-operation':

www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%202270%20-%200350.html?search=gander

[connieguy]

See also Flight for 25th September 1947 on GCA at Gander. 'Airlines using the present GCA system which are expected to share in the use of the search unit include Air France, American Overseas Airlines, B.O.A.C., K.L.M., Sabena, Scandinavian Airlines System and T.W.A'. The search unit referred to is a radar installation with a range of about 150 miles, which was expected to eliminate the need for stacking aircraft over the airport in bad weather.


www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1947/1947%20-%201673.html