Aero-Linx!

Scouring the information super airways can sometimes be a tough, if educational, task for the Aero-News staff... but it also allows us to check out some truly neat and exciting sites, so it's not that bad a gig. On any given day, we may check dozens (and often hundreds) of different sources for story ideas, and facts confirmation. And, as is the nature of our business, much of this is done on the Internet.

The ANN gang decided we probably shouldn't keep some of the neat sites, info resources, and organizations we've discovered to ourselves... so we decided to bring you Aero-Linx. These are the sites that WE check out -- when we need added perspective, a new spin on a day's topic... or just want to escape into cyber-aero-space for awhile.

Look for some of our favorite sites, coming each day to ANN via Aero-Linx. Suggestions for future Aero-Linx segments are always welcome, as well.

Aero-Linx: Remotely Staffed Tower Services

Reading through some aviation blogs Monday morning, we came across a link to an FAA document that outlines a plan to consolidate tower services for some medium-use airports over the next 8 to 10 years. Remotely Staffed Towers would provide ATM services for operations into and out of designated airports without physically constructing, equipping, and/or sustaining tower facilities at these airports. Instead of out-the-window visual surveillance, controllers maintain situational awareness provided by surface surveillance displayed on an ANSP display system and a suite of decision support tools using aircraft-derived data. Nothing carved in stone yet, but it does seem to be part of the FAA's medium-term plans.

FMI: https://nasea.faa.gov/products/oi/main/display/130