Pilots And Air Traffic Controllers Get Ready For ADS-B

June 10, 2010 - Greater efficiency and improved situational awareness, that's what Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) promises to provide for aircraft operating in the national airspace system (NAS).

With several airport areas already operating with ADS-B capability, as well as a recently published rule on performance requirements, those objectives are becoming a reality. What do these changes mean to general aviation, a segment of the aviation community that accounts for a hefty majority of flights in the U.S.? 

ADS-B is a cooperative surveillance technique for air traffic control and related applications being developed as part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Australia is the first country with full, nationwide ADS-B coverage. 

An ADS-B-equipped aircraft determines its own position using a global navigation satellite system and periodically broadcasts this position and other relevant information to potential ground stations and other aircraft with ADS-B-in equipment. ADS-B can be used over several different data link technologies, including Mode-S Extended Squitter (1090 ES) operating at 1090 MHz, Universal Access Transceiver (978 MHz UAT), and VHF data link (VDL Mode 4).

Realizing that cost and the limited lifespan of many technologies may keep some pilots wary of making any major avionics upgrades, Saini points out that the FAA is working hard with industry and the aviation community to ensure that manufacturers bring suitable equipment to the marketplace when it's needed, and that any required upgrades are available at a reasonable cost. An example that shows the progress of these planning and coordination efforts can be found with a final rule the FAA published May 28, 2010, on ADS-B Out equipage. This is the technology that allows air traffic controllers to track aircraft via ADS-B information instead of radar information.  

When combined with ADS-B, it allows pilots and controllers to see the same aircraft position information. With the new rule in place, it is expected more companies will bring ADS-B avionics to market, spurring better prices and more competition. "This rule gives the green light for manufacturers to begin building the onboard equipment that will allow our air traffic controllers to know where aircraft are with greater precision and reliability," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "That is one of the key elements of NextGen that will improve the safety and efficiency of flight." The nationwide rollout of ADS-B ground stations will be complete in 2013.