Pilot/Controller Glossary 

12/2/21 

RADAR ARRIVAL

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 An aircraft arriving at an 

airport served by a radar facility and in radar contact 
with the facility. 

(See NONRADAR.) 

RADAR BEACON

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(See RADAR.) 

RADAR CLUTTER [ICAO]

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 The visual indication 

on a radar display of unwanted signals. 

RADAR CONTACT

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a. 

Used by ATC to inform an aircraft that it is 

identified using an approved ATC surveillance 
source on an air traffic controller’s display and that 
radar flight following will be provided until radar 
service is terminated. Radar service may also be 
provided within the limits of necessity and capability. 
When a pilot is informed of “radar contact,” he/she 
automatically discontinues reporting over compuls-
ory reporting points. 

(See ATC SURVEILLANCE SOURCE.) 

(See RADAR CONTACT LOST.) 

(See RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING.) 

(See RADAR SERVICE.) 

(See RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED.) 

(Refer to AIM.) 

b. 

The term used to inform the controller that the 

aircraft is identified and approval is granted for the 
aircraft to enter the receiving controllers airspace. 

(See ICAO term RADAR CONTACT.) 

RADAR CONTACT [ICAO]

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 The situation which 

exists when the radar blip or radar position symbol of 
a particular aircraft is seen and identified on a radar 
display. 

RADAR CONTACT LOST

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 Used by ATC to inform 

a pilot that the surveillance data used to determine the 
aircraft’s position is no longer being received, or is no 
longer reliable and radar service is no longer being 
provided. The loss may be attributed to several 
factors including the aircraft merging with weather or 
ground clutter, the aircraft operating below radar line 
of sight coverage, the aircraft entering an area of poor 
radar return, failure of the aircraft’s equipment, or 
failure of the surveillance equipment. 

(See CLUTTER.) 

(See RADAR CONTACT.) 

RADAR ENVIRONMENT

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 An area in which radar 

service may be provided. 

(See ADDITIONAL SERVICES.) 
(See RADAR CONTACT.) 
(See RADAR SERVICE.) 
(See TRAFFIC ADVISORIES.) 

RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING

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 The observation 

of the progress of radar

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identified aircraft, whose 

primary navigation is being provided by the pilot, 
wherein the controller retains and correlates the 
aircraft identity with the appropriate target or target 
symbol displayed on the radar scope. 

(See RADAR CONTACT.) 
(See RADAR SERVICE.) 
(Refer to AIM.) 

RADAR IDENTIFICATION

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 The process of 

ascertaining that an observed radar target is the radar 
return from a particular aircraft. 

(See RADAR CONTACT.) 
(See RADAR SERVICE.) 

RADAR IDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT

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 An aircraft, the 

position of which has been correlated with an 
observed target or symbol on the radar display. 

(See RADAR CONTACT.) 
(See RADAR CONTACT LOST.) 

RADAR MONITORING

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(See RADAR SERVICE.) 

RADAR NAVIGATIONAL GUIDANCE

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(See RADAR SERVICE.) 

RADAR POINT OUT

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 An action taken by a 

controller to transfer the radar identification of an 
aircraft to another controller if the aircraft will or may 
enter the airspace or protected airspace of another 
controller and radio communications will not be 
transferred. 

RADAR REQUIRED

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 A term displayed on charts 

and approach plates and included in FDC NOTAMs 
to alert pilots that segments of either an instrument 
approach procedure or a route are not navigable 
because of either the absence or unusability of a 
NAVAID. The pilot can expect to be provided radar 
navigational guidance while transiting segments 
labeled with this term. 

(See RADAR ROUTE.) 
(See RADAR SERVICE.) 

PCG R

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