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 significant skepticism regarding the FAA's ability to manage the ADS-B implementation by 2020 and questions its claimed benefits, such as airspace efficiency and the wisdom of replacing ground-based radar.
- Key concerns include the loss of pilot privacy due to continuous tracking, the minimal financial and safety benefits for the average general aviation pilot compared to the required investment, and the primary justification being FAA cost savings.
- The article highlights a lack of clear operational guidelines for new capabilities like self-separation, posing questions about workload and right-of-way rules, and concludes that many critical questions about ADS-B remain unanswered.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
