FAA Plans Launch of New Satellite Tracking Systems
December 1, 2008
For years the airline industry has been criticizing the Federal Aviation Administration (www.faa.gov) for what critics consider the government’s glacial speed in deploying “NextGen” satellite tracking systems. Now, some significant movement surfaces on the part of the federal agency.
FAA Acting Administrator Robert A. Sturgell has given the go-ahead for nationwide deployment of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. The system allows air traffic controllers to track aircraft via satellite, rather than radar. The up-shot, according to the FAA: a safer, more efficient system.
ADS-B is designed to provide more efficient routings in bad weather (and thus reduce delays), and improve pilots’ situational awareness by giving pilots a better way to gauge other aircraft in the skies.
Even in light of the current recession, the FAA plans to roll-out the new systems beginning in 2009 and expects a “nationwide deployment of the system by 2013.”
FAA just commissioned ADS-B “essential services” in Florida, this with the installation of 11 ground stations. Up next in the race to deploy NextGen are installations in Juneau (JNU), Louisville (SDF), the Gulf of Mexico, and Philadelphia (PHL). They’re scheduled to be complete by the end of 2010. With their completion, controllers can start actually separating aircraft using ADS-B.
As FAA tracks aircraft, so too will the airline industry track just how fast NextGen actually makes it into the real-world environment of day-to-day flying.
©Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler
Jerry Chandler
Jerry Chandler loves window seats – a perch with a 35,000-foot view of it all. His favorite places: San Francisco and London just about any time of year, autumn in Manhattan and the seaside in winter. An award-winning aviation and travel writer for 30 years, his goal is to introduce each of his grandkids to their first flight.
One last push by the lame duck, (Bush), to use taxpayer dollars to buy a system that won’t help reduce delays. Aside from thunderstorms and the like, the delays come from the airports not having enough capacity to handle the number of flights scheduled. A “tracking system” won’t help that.
By the way… Safer???!!?? Without radar, on 9/11 controllers wouldn’t have had ANY idea where those planes were going because with a push of a button, the “Dependent” part of that system means: Na Na Na Na Na, you don’t see me!!
Many in the airline industry, top scientists, and more than a few pilots like the idea. ‘Lame duck’ initiative or not, there are a considerable number of industry insiders who believe implementation of this technology is overdue. It would help better facilitate direct point-to-point flying, “free flight.”
A considerable number of industry who wants to sell new mandated equipment. ADS-B will help but it will not solve a schedule that has 80 flight when only 60 can go becasue there is no concrete to use. Everyone wants to be on time, no one wants an airport near them.
How many of them stand to gain in some, I don’t know, monetary way???? I’ll grant you some pilots may think it’s a good idea. Probably they are not the pilots who’ll pay for the box they will need in the cockpit. As long as you’re not flying into a major metro area, direct point to point will be great once every aircraft has the box not to mention all of the infrastructure. By the way the GAO has estimated the software alone will cost 50 billion!! So much for all of the FAA total cost estimates of about 18-24 billion.
I am in the industry and I, among many, say it has it’s place as an aid, not a replacement for radar and will certainly not deliver all of the wonderful features trumped up by this, yes, lame duck administration. The idea is not a lame duck. It’s a great one but it has been pushed as the end all and will solve many problems. Nope.
Jerry, if you are a pilot, I hope you do some investigating. It will take some effort but you won’t like what you find.