Conference Outlines Who's Doing What On Future Of ATC
FAA Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell and representatives of
industry organizations recently met with reporters to provide a
background for the Next Generation Air Transportation System
(NextGen,) the much-ballyhooed FAA proposal to transform US
aviation through the use of 21st-century technologies to meet
future demands, avoid gridlock in the sky, improve safety and
increase environmental protections.
Sturgell was joined by representatives from four of the
organizations collaborating with the agency to make NextGen a
reality: Ann Carroll, Vice President of Legal Affairs of Helicopter
Association International (HAI); Ed Iacobucci, DayJet CEO; David
Hayzlett, co-founder of the Alliance for Sustainable Air
Transportation (ASAT); and Wade Lester, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University NextGen program manager.
Each representative provided reporters with an overview of how
their organization and the agency are working together to make the
FAA's (nebulous) vision of the future of air traffic control a
reality.
HAI is collaborating with the agency to deploy Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) in the Gulf of Mexico.
This will, for the first time, provide actual air traffic control
services to a region that sees more than 5,000 helicopter flights
per day to and from nearly 7,000 oil platforms, rigs, and ships
operating in the Gulf. Twenty-five platforms have been targeted for
the installation of weather and communications equipment, which is
expected to be operational by December 2009.
DayJet is equipping its fleet of very light jets with ADS-B
avionics. This equipment will allow the company to transmit and
collect data on their flight operations, which can help build the
agency’s understanding of how ADS-B will play out in a
real-world environment.
Embry-Riddle’s research capability will provide tremendous
support to the advancement of NextGen. The university is working
with the agency to create a test bed that will feature Required
Area Navigation (RNAV) routes between Florida airports, including
Miami, Orlando, and Daytona, and New York area airports Teterboro,
JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. RNAV procedures increase the number of
departure routes, allowing air traffic controllers to disperse
aircraft more efficiently. This reduces taxi time, ground delays
and miles flown. The test bed is expected to begin its work
later this year.
ASAT represents the interests of local, state, and federal
organizations, as well as industry, academia, and other NGOs. The
organization builds awareness with the states, the private sector,
and the industry to help advance leading NextGen technologies.
The agency is encouraged by the engagement of industry. The
entrepreneurial efforts represented by the collaborations with
these independent organizations will allow the FAA to get an early
jumpstart on NextGen capabilities.