Beginning on page 12, Frank Bowlin tackles the question, “Can ADS-B Work?” We all should hope the answer is a resounding “yes.” The FAA is busy firewalling its throttle and pushing its nose down, intending to get us there by 2020. In October, the agency released the first of several proposed rules on ADS-B, on complying airborne equipment. Im a confessed ADS-B skeptic. Put bluntly, I have zero confidence in the FAAs ability to manage a multi-year project of this scope. Im also not sanguine about doing away with much of the ground-based surveillance radar network as the agency proposes, and dont believe all the airspace efficiency claims being made. (The vast majority of congestion problems dont involve airspace; they involve available runways and airline scheduling.) Theres also a privacy concern with ADS-B: Not only will other aircraft know who is 288
Sliced Bread?
Beginning on page 12, Frank Bowlin tackles the question, "Can ADS-B Work?" We all should hope the answer is a resounding "yes." The FAA is busy firewalling its throttle and pushing its nose down, intending to get us there by 2020. In October, the agency released the first of several proposed rules on ADS-B, on complying airborne equipment. Im a confessed ADS-B skeptic. Put bluntly, I have zero confidence in the FAAs ability to manage a multi-year project of this scope. Im also not sanguine about doing away with much of the ground-based surveillance radar network as the agency proposes, and dont believe all the airspace efficiency claims being made. (The vast majority of congestion problems dont involve airspace; they involve available runways and airline scheduling.)
Key Takeaways:
- The author expresses strong skepticism about the FAA's ability to manage the ADS-B project, questioning its claimed efficiency benefits and the wisdom of replacing ground-based radar.
- Concerns are raised regarding pilot privacy due to the elimination of flight anonymity with ADS-B, and the system's primary justification is viewed as FAA cost-saving rather than significant financial or safety benefits for individual pilots.
- The article questions the safety enhancements of "self-separation" due to potential workload increases and a lack of clear operational "rules of the road," highlighting many unanswered questions and a need for better FAA communication.
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