There probably are few pilots in the U.S. who aren’t aware of ADS-B and its In and Out flavors. The traffic and weather services ADS-B In brings to the cockpit have proven popular and inexpensive, portable receivers used with consumer-grade tablet computers have proliferated along with panel-installed equipment to bring enhanced situational awareness to even the lowliest cockpit. Yes, the data and information available through ADS-B In is for advisory purposes only—it can’t be used in lieu of airborne radar or collision-avoidance equipment required by operating rules.
At least in our mind, there’s also been the question, “How good is this data?” We’re surely not the first to react to an intruding target on a Traffic Information System-Broadcast (TIS-B) display only to have the “ghost” disappear at the last moment. Likewise, there have been misunderstandings about the latency of the Nexrad weather radar data sent via the Flight Information System-Broadcast (FIS-B) and the implications of trying to use it as the only tool to penetrate storms. Our suggestion is to never depend on ADS-B In but to use it as intended: yet another arrow in your quiver of tools to conduct a safe flight.
