The generally weak and fuzzy appearance as well as the slow speed of spurious radar targets usually enable them to be recognized as such by experienced radar controllers. Normally these targets have but little effect on traffic control, because they occupy very little space in relation to the entire scope area and their progress on course is very slow. The most dangerous possibility from the traffic control standpoint is the chance that one of these targets might be a helicopter. If their course will not collide with that of an aircraft target, such targets are generally disregarded.
If the course will collide with an aircraft target, some control action is indicated because of the helicopter hazard. In such cases, prudent controllers will give traffic information to pilots regarding the unidentified target, particularly at night under visual flight rule conditions. Where a collision course is involved, pilots would rather be warned about a spurious target than not be warned about a legitimate one. At the present time, very little instrument flying is done by helicopters. Therefore, unidentified targets of this type are not usually given as traffic information to pilots known to be operating on instruments.