Briefing: November 2018

Search-and-rescue delays after an airplane crash will become a thing of the past, with Aireons global satellite network in place, the company says. Aireon says the system will be ready to go online in 2019. As long as an aircraft is broadcasting on 1090 MHz ADS-B, we will be able to locate it anywhere worldwide, said Peter Kearney, CEO of the Irish Aviation Authority, one of the partners in the new system. General aviation users dont need to pre-register, but search-and-rescue teams can contact the company for location data. The rescue capability is offered as a free service to the aviation community, Aireon says.

Editorial Staff

Friday, October 19, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

New aviation technologies are on the horizon, including Aireon's global satellite network for free worldwide search-and-rescue tracking of ADS-B equipped aircraft and DARPA's research into brain-controlled piloting for drones and full-scale aircraft.
General aviation safety shows improvement with fatal accident rates reaching a 10-year low, though pilot error remains the leading cause of incidents.
The FAA is actively addressing significant safety hazards like wrong-surface landings, which predominantly involve general aviation, by advising pilots on best practices and technology utilization.
Environmental groups are opposing efforts to lift the ban on supersonic flight over the U.S., citing concerns about high fuel consumption and increased emissions from new jet designs.

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Aireon Aims To Eliminate Lost Aircraft

Search-and-rescue delays after an airplane crash will become a thing of the past, with Aireon’s global satellite network in place, the company says. Aireon says the system will be ready to go online in 2019. “As long as an aircraft is broadcasting on 1090 MHz ADS-B, we will be able to locate it anywhere worldwide,” said Peter Kearney, CEO of the Irish Aviation Authority, one of the partners in the new system. General aviation users don’t need to pre-register, but search-and-rescue teams can contact the company for location data. The rescue capability is offered as a free service to the aviation community, Aireon says.

Eco-Groups Question Sst Plans

With an effort to lift the ban on supersonic flight above the U.S. in play in Congress, a coalition of 38 environmental and health advocacy groups urged lawmakers to uphold the current restrictions. The new jet designs would burn up to “seven times more fuel per passenger” compared to today’s airliners, according to the coalition’s news release. “Resurrecting these flying gas-guzzlers would cause the aviation industry’s already massive climate damage to skyrocket,” said Bill Snape, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity. Spike Aerospace, which hopes to fly a new supersonic airliner prototype by 2023, responded with a news release, saying the jet they are working on will “minimize emissions, maximize fuel efficiency and economy, as well as reduce noise around airport zones,” and will meet “stringent requirements” set by both the FAA and ICAO.