Mesa Rica FAA Radar Site

 (1960s-Active) - A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Long-Range Radar (LRR) site first established in the 1960s near Tucumcari, San Miguel County, New Mexico. The site is used to identify and track military and civilian aircraft movements within a 200-mile radius and to provide air-ground radio communication with those aircraft. Assigned a SAGE System ID of Z-234 and an FAA ID of QWC. Active FAA Radar Site.

History
This site became an FAA radar site in the 1960s, furnishing radar track data to the FAA ARTCC's and to USAF Direction Centers. The initial FAA ARSR-1E search radar remained in operation until it was modified to become a Common Air Route Surveillance Radar (CARSR).

By 1990 the site was equipped with an ARSR-1E search radar and a CD-2A Common Digitizer. The Mesa Rica CD-2A was scheduled to receive an upgrade kit to implement three level weather data processing in July 1992.

CARSR Radar
At the time of the CARSR changeout, the legacy radar in place was an ARSR-1E and the CARSR conversion included a 7172 Antenna. The secondary radar set at this site is a Mode S beacon set.

{| width="800px"
 * valign="top" width="60%" |
 * valign="top" width="60%" |

Current Status
Active FAA facility near Tucumcari in San Miguel County, New Mexico.

{| See Also:
 * Albuquerque ARTCC
 * JSS System
 * FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers
 * US Radar Sets

Sources:

Links:
 * Radomes - Mesa Rica FAA Radar Site
 * Wikipedia - Joint Surveillance System