$34 Million Needed For Safety Program

FAA officials have asked the State of Alaska to assist in equipping 4,000 commercial and private aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics over the next five years.

The Alaska Journal of Commerce reports Governor Sarah Palin recently received a letter from Hank Krawkowski, Chief Operating Officer for the Air Traffic Organization, saying the Capstone Statewide Agreement Implementation Committee needs to raise $34 million under a memorandum of agreement for the state to receive $493 million in services from the FAA.

The committee is made up of representative industry leaders from the Alaska Air Carriers Association, Frontier Flying Service, Peninsula Airways, the Alaska Airmen’s Association, the Governor’s Aviation Advisory Board, the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Each signed a memorandum of agreement in July to assist in providing funding for the program.

Committee representatives are expected to approach legislators during the 2008 session with a funding request for $34 million, as well as present a business plan on how the program will be managed.

The state must commit to the $34 million investment to receive the $493 million in federal funding to start the five-year implementation program.

Once funding is obtained, the program would require each aircraft owner to pay $2,500 per aircraft for the equipment. Total cost for hardware and installation is expected to be $14,000 to $18,000 per aircraft, with the program paying the difference.

ADS-B is a surveillance system that uses satellite technology, aircraft avionics and a flexible ground infrastructure to transmit flight information between aircraft and air traffic control more quickly and accurately than radar.

ADS-B equipment will display other aircraft and terrain on a cockpit screen, and will be used nationwide by 2020 to monitor aircraft traffic in the nation’s airspace as part of the FAA’s NextGen system.

According to Vincent Cappezutto, head of the Broadcast and Surveillance Program, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be available to accept public comment through March regarding Alaska airspace use with ADS-B equipment.

FMI: www.faa.gov