Tall Ships and Low Airplanes

If a ship passing through the Port of Boston's main shipping channel (and across the approach to Runway 4R at Boston Logan) is 176 feet or higher, FAA officials have said that no instrument approaches are allowed on that runway. If a ship passing by the Runway 4R threshold is between 85 feet and 176 feet, instrument approaches to Logan are allowed but are more spaced out and infrequent. Boston Logan's Massport board of directors has now decided to spend around $1.3M on a new radar next year to monitor shipping movements in the channel. The radar will be capable of measuring and reporting upon a ship's height. The radar won't however change the FAA's rules; it's being seen as just another necessary layer of safety. At present the coordination system is as diverse as reports from the Coast Guard, the Harbormaster, three IR cameras and controller's observations via binoculars. Logan will also be getting an ASDE-X surface movement radar, its reward for having racked up a near record number of runway incursions over recent years.