Tue, Jul 21, 2009
FAA Says Controllers Will Have A Better Overall View Of The
Airport
One of New York's busiest airports is now using an advanced
ground radar system to improve safety. Newark Liberty International
Airport commissioned the Airport Surface Detection Equipment-Model
X (ASDE-X) on July 15.
ASDE-X enhances safety by collecting data from more sources than
Newark’s previous ground radar system, and provides
controllers with color map displays showing the location of all
aircraft and vehicles on the runways and taxiways.
For example, when a plane is approaching the airport to land,
ASDE-X puts lines up on a controller’s display to show the
edges of the runway. If another plane or vehicle crosses those
lines or moves toward them at a certain speed, two alarms go off.
An audible alarm sounds telling controllers to instruct the landing
plane to go around. A visual alarm shows up on the
controller’s screen that circles the two planes or the
vehicle and draws a line between them.
The new system also shows data tags for both arriving and
departing aircraft. The previous ASDE-3 system only gave
information for flights headed to the airport.
In addition to a view of the entire airfield provided by ASDE-X,
controllers can pick certain areas to highlight on the display and
zoom in to get a better view of what’s happening in each
area. For example, if a lot of planes are waiting to depart, a
controller can take a closer look at the departure end of the
runway. This is especially important in bad weather when visibility
from the tower window sometimes is hampered.
ASDE-X differentiates between aircraft sizes, displaying
heavy planes as yellow icons and regular planes in white.
ASDE-X also gives controllers the ability to mark taxiway
closures and safety areas on the screen. The new system is designed
to integrate with future components of the Next Generation Air
Transportation System, such as the Automated Dependent Surveillance
Broadcast, or ADS-B, which can be incorporated into the ASDE-X
display.
Boston Logan International Airport also plans to commission
ASDE-X on July 23. In all, the FAA has identified 35 airports to
receive the system.
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