Definition
Information derived from radar returns, typically including an aircraft's position, altitude (when secondary surveillance radar is used), ground speed, and track, which is processed and displayed to air traffic controllers for separation and traffic management.
Plain English
The information that radar produces about an aircraft — where it is, how high it is, how fast it's moving, and which direction it's going — shown on a controller's screen.
Context Anchor
Seen in NextGen system diagrams and air traffic control discussions, where different information sources are shown feeding the system that tracks aircraft.
Derivation
Radar comes from 'Radio Detection and Ranging.' Data simply means information. So radar data is the information produced by bouncing radio waves off aircraft and interpreting what comes back.
Why Pilots Care
Radar data lets controllers give accurate vectors, maintain separation, and provide traffic advisories in instrument conditions.
Intuition Check
Radar data does not mean the radar screen itself. It means the information produced by radar and used by air traffic systems.
Example Sentence 1
The controller used radar data to issue a traffic advisory about a converging aircraft at the same altitude.
Example Sentence 2
NextGen upgrades improve how radar data is shared between facilities for smoother handoffs.