Only Second State To Launch

North Carolina is set to become only the second state in the Union to install a system of transmitters called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast.

ADS-B airborne systems transmit an aircraft’s identity, position, velocity, and intent to other aircraft and to air traffic control systems on the ground, thus allowing for common situational awareness to all appropriately equipped users of the national airspace system.

"For the first time the pilot has the ability to have situational awareness, what other airplanes around him are doing," said the FAA's Paul Fontaine, in an interview with the Greensboro (NC) News-Record. "This provides general aviation-type pilots with the traffic information they just don't see today."

It's the sort of technology that might help avoid accidents like the King Air mishap in Virginia last week, which killed several members of the Hendricks Motor Sports family. While no probable cause will be issued by the NTSB for months, initial indications are that the flight crew may not have followed procedures for a missed approach near Bull Mountain (VA). Ten people on board the aircraft were lost. Currently, Delaware is the only other state offering ADS-B coverage.

One of the system's biggest advantages is that it's based in real time, unlike the flight briefings pilots receive before take-off.

"The problem with that, which the technology will correct, is that it's time dated," said Bill Williams, director of North Carolina's aviation division. "If they update their reports every hour, you get an hour-old report. With this you have real-time information."

Another BIG plus in today's TFR-happy environment: ADS-B can transmit to pilots an up to date look at the surrounding airspace. Any restrictions that popped up after take-off will show up on the systems multi-function display.

Fontaine put it this way: "It helps the pilot in understanding the game plan. Picture you're on a football field. If you just had one narrow view of that picture, you're probably not going to execute the play that well."

North Carolina and the FAA have agreed to split the cost of installing and maintaining the system, Fontaine said. Each of four earth stations to be installed in the Tar Heel State will cost about $150,000. Maintaining them will cost approximately $16,000 a year each. That's a small fraction of the cost of radar currently used by airports around the state. In time, as ABS-D becomes more widely accepted, Fontaine said some of those airport radar systems will be phased out.

FMI: www.faa.gov