PENSACOLA APCH CTL (P31) CTLRS ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THEIR RADAR COVERAGE OF THE EGLIN AFB AREA IS VERY POOR.

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PENSACOLA APCH CTL (P31) ASSUMES EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE AIRSPACE ON LATE NIGHT SHIFTS; HOLIDAYS; AND WEEKENDS; DUE TO REDUCED MIL CTLR STAFFING. DESPITE ASSURANCES FROM THE FAR THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS TEMPORARY; OR THAT ADDITIONAL EQUIP WOULD BE INSTALLED TO ALLOW P31 TO EFFECTIVELY WORK THE AIRSPACE; NO EQUIP UPGRADES HAVE OCCURRED. PENSACOLA APCH IS WORKING THE EGLIN AIRSPACE WITH EQUIP DESIGNED TO WORK THE PENSACOLA TERMINAL AIRSPACE. THE RADAR COVERAGE DOES NOT EFFECTIVELY EXTEND TO COVER THE FORT WALTON BEACH TERMINAL AREA. HERE ARE 2 INSTANCES WHERE IFR ACFT WERE NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE RADAR ARTS EQUIP UNTIL THEY WERE CLBING OUT OF 5000 FT; CLRLY UNACCEPTABLE EQUIP PERFORMANCE. 1) SR22 DEPARTED DESTIN ARPT EBOUND CLBING TO 10000 FT. AT NO POINT WAS ANY SECONDARY RADAR INFO RECEIVED OR PROCESSED OR DISPLAYED BY THE RADAR OR ARTS COMPUTER. THE INFO WAS PROCESSED BY ZJX'S COMPUTERS; WHICH RULES OUT AN EQUIP PROB ABOARD THE ACFT. 2) LJ25 DEPARTED DESTIN ARPT NBOUND CLBING TO 10000 FT. NO RADAR DATA WAS PROCESSED OR DISPLAYED UNTIL THE ACFT WAS AT THE NSE 120038 CLBING OUT OF 5500 FT. THESE ARE 2 INSTANCES OF POOR RADAR PERFORMANCE THAT WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTN TO RPT. SIMILAR COVERAGE PROBS ARE EVIDENT DURING MOST OF THE PERIODS IN WHICH PENSACOLA TRACON HAS THAT AIRSPACE. THE PROB COULD BE ADDRESSED RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVELY WITH THE INSTALLATION OF A RADAR FEED FROM THE EGLIN RADAR ANTENNA; SO THAT EGLIN'S RADAR COVERAGE COULD BE DISPLAYED IN PENSACOLA APCH CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE RADAR COVERAGE FOR THE EGLIN AREA IS VERY POOR. HE SAID P31 HAS 2 ASR-8 RADAR SITES. ONE IS LOCATED AT PNS ARPT AND ONE AT WHITING ARPT APPROX 17 MI N OF PNS. THE EGLIN ASR-11 IS APPROX 30 MI E OF PNS. HE SAID A POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO CONNECT THE ASR-11 TO THE ASR-8 VIA LANDLINE. A PROB EXISTS WITH COMPATIBILITY BTWN THE ASR-8 TO ASR-11. THERE ARE ALSO POLITICAL AND FUNDING ISSUES. THE RPTR ALSO SAID THE AREA WAS SLATED FOR STARS BTWN THE YRS 2005 AND 2007.