Aeroplanes get into traffic jams just in the same way cars do-especially around busy airports. But people called air traffic controllers know where each plane is located. They use radar to help them direct air traffic.
Radar allows the controllers to find planes that are too far away to see. And radar does this at night and in rain, fog, or snow.
A radar set sends out radio waves. When the radio waves hit a flying plane, or even a raindrop, they bounce back to the radar set. This makes spots of light appear on the tracking screen.
The moving spots of light tell a controller where the object is. They know how far away it is, how high it is, how fast it is moving, and which way it is going. Then the controllers can direct the air traffic, much as police officers direct road traffic. They make sure each plane follows a safe path when flying, taking off, or landing.
The planes have radar sets, too. The pilot can look at the radar to make sure that no violent storms or other planes are dangerously close.
Picture Credit : Google