The modern cab: screens, touch panels and live data
Today Prestwick Tower (118.155) and Approach (129.455) run H24 in Class D airspace, with ILS CAT I on runways 12 and 30 and ATIS on 121.130 (UK AIP). NATS Prestwick Centre, the area control centre for Scotland and the North Atlantic, is next door.
Prestwick’s actual equipment makes are not public, so the cab here shows what a modern UK tower typically has: an Aerodrome Traffic Monitor, a touchscreen voice communications system, strip and met displays, a lighting panel and a crash alarm.
The desk in this era
The plate shows a curved console with an ATM radar display, an electronic strip display, a VCS touch panel, a headset and microphone, an AGL control panel, weather and ATIS screens (the ATIS screen shows the live runway, wind and QNH), a live UTC clock, binoculars and a signal light: a typical modern UK layout. Prestwick’s actual equipment is not public. Artist’s impression (AI-generated with Grok Imagine), typical UK layout.
// What happened
The tower sits on the brick 1962 block next to Apron E; the primary radar head beside it was cleared for replacement in August 2026 (Ayr Advertiser).
- 2010NATS Prestwick Centre (an area control centre, not the tower) opens nearby, handling about 42% of UK traffic. [NATS Prestwick Centre fact sheet]
- Nov 2013The Scottish Government buys the airport for £1. [ABCT: Prestwick]
- Jan 2015Prestwick tenders for a Windfarm Radar Mitigation System to deal with turbine clutter on its S511 primary radar. [PCS notice JAN196696 (2015)]
- 2021A developer-funded Terma SCANTER radar is reported to be in final operational trials. [Sunday Post, 1 Aug 2021 (via wind-watch.org)]
- Sept 2023Ministers rule mitigation costs must be “demonstrably incurred”, with no basis for ongoing compensatory payments. [The Scotsman, 1 Oct 2023]
- Aug 2026Replacement of the end-of-life EN4000 primary radar is cleared as permitted development. [Ayr Advertiser, 15 Aug 2026]
- NowAir traffic services H24 on runways 12/30 and 02/20, with ILS CAT I on 12 (IPP) and 30 (IKK), in Class D controlled airspace. [UK AIP AD 2 EGPK (AIRAC 2026-09-03)]
- 2026A tender to replace both ILS and the associated DME for RWY 12/30 runs from 8 Jun to 7 Dec 2026. [PCS notice FEB549922 (2026)]
- NowHMS Gannet, which arrived in 1971 (ABCT), is on the airfield. [UK AIP AD 2 EGPK (AIRAC 2026-09-03)]
// Equipment in this era
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| ILS: localiser, glidepath and DME | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| ATIS: Prestwick Information 121.130 | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Voice switch and telephones | Typical UK practice |
| Radio: VHF, UHF and standby sets | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Radar displays and the ATM | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Surface movement radar and A-SMGCS | Not known |
| Lighting control panel (AGL) | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Met display | Typical UK practice |
| Weather instruments | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Flight progress strips | Not known |
| Signal lamp and the Aldis | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Binoculars | Typical UK practice |
| Crash alarm | Typical UK practice |
| NOTAMs and briefing | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| Military links and hotlines | At Prestwick (sourced) |
| UTC clocks and indicators | Typical UK practice |
// Photographs
