Title: Can someone actually "fly under the radar"? - Aviation Stack Exchange
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Can someone actually “fly under the radar”?
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edited Apr 6 '14 at 14:56
answered Apr 1 '14 at 17:38
Lnafziger
Lnafziger
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It is certainly possible to fly "under the radar." Military pilots practice a type of flying called nap-of-the-earth for exactly this purpose. This tactic is primarily used by smaller fighters and attack aircraft, but larger planes like the B-1 are also capable of this. Here is why this tactic may be useful: In civil aviation, mountains or other terrain can block radar signals. Going too low in a mountainous area will take you out of their radar coverage. For this reason, controllers have Minimum Vectoring Altitudes. These are based both on the radar coverage and terrain so that ATC can ensure aircraft will be at a safe altitude. Here is a cross section of how radar coverage may look. Obstructions can block lower portions of the coverage as it radiates outward from the radar facility.