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 about the FAA's ability to manage the ADS-B project, its plan to eliminate ground-based radar, and the claimed airspace efficiency benefits.
- Key concerns include the loss of pilot privacy due to continuous tracking, and the argument that ADS-B's primary justification lies in FAA cost savings rather than substantial safety or financial benefits for average piston pilots.
- Many unanswered questions remain regarding ADS-B's operational implementation, such as clear "rules of the road" for self-separation, potential increases in pilot workload, and overall justification, which the author feels the FAA has not adequately addressed.
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