STUDENT PLT COMPLAINT REGARDING THE LACK OF TWR RADAR EQUIP DURING ENTRY AND OP IN THE ATA.

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MY PURPOSE IN WRITING THIS FORM IS TO BRING UP AN ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE MANY PLTS AND FLT INSTRUCTORS TAKE FOR GRANTED. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE LIVERMORE CTL TWR DOES NOT HAVE RADAR SVC. IN THE PAST; I HAD ASSUMED THAT IT DID. FOR SOME STRANGE STUDENT PLT THOUGHT PATTERN; I ASSOCIATED 'CTLED ARPTS' WITH A CTLR AND A RADAR SCOPE. (NOT A CTLR AND A SET OF BINOCULARS). PERHAPS; I HAD BEEN 'SPOILED' BY HAYWARD'S CTL TWR WITH A RADAR. ANYWAY; I FEEL I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE MADE THAT KIND OF ASSUMPTION. ALSO; EVEN THOUGH IT IS A PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO 'SEE AND AVOID' IN ALL VISUAL CONDITIONS -- MOST OF US CAN ADMIT TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COMPLACENCY WHEN OPERATING IN A RADAR ENVIRONMENT. IN MY OPINION; IF THAT INFO HAD BEEN GIVEN TO ME PRIOR TO FLYING THERE (EITHER IN A NOTAM; BULLETIN; OR BY AN INSTRUCTOR); I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE TWR'S WORKLOAD AND BEEN COURTEOUS OF THAT. MY LEVEL OF AWARENESS WOULD HAVE BEEN INCREASED. MY LEVEL OF COM AND ACFT LIGHTING WOULD HAVE BEEN INCREASED. WITH NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE ATA AND 1 CTLR USING BINOCULARS -- MY CAUTION WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY INCREASED.