Me too. Till I looked into it more and found it was a field trip visit for trainee ATC :)
Wiki:
The prominent radar dome on top of Cass Peak is part of a nationwide system of air traffic management and is operated by Airways New Zealand. The nationwide system was built in the late 1980s and became operational in 1991.[16] Of the six secondary radar stations supplying the two air traffic control centres in Auckland and Christchurch with aircraft position data, Cass Peak is the southernmost in New Zealand.[17]
There are two kinds of Radar, primary radar (the dish that wizzes around and pings moving targets basically), secondary radar where aircraft has a transponder and transmits its details back to base. Primary radar coverage isn't great - but we do have a reasonably good secondary radar system that covers a large portion of New Zealand and (oceanic) the Pacific.
The Radar Centre is solely based in Christchurch.
Oblivian:
gzt: 'Internal network failure' aside, ATC obviously did well today recovering.
Btw how long has ATC in NZ had a national radar?
From how I believe it works is Airways base is in christchurch aviational tech park - Sir William Pickering drv. From there most the radar for the country is run out of. The towers at each field control ground/approach etc But when you are calling auckland radar, you are talking to one of the guys in a room down here. Able to hand off to those beside him/her
Big ol golfball on the port hills covers most of the south island
Infact, its now outlined :) http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/69647341/flight-radar-failure-to-be-investigated-by-civil-aviation-authority
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