Mark your calendar for 2020. The FAA recently awarded an ITT Corporation team the $1.8 billion contract to build and operate the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) ground infrastructure. While the FAA calls ADS-B the "backbone" of the NextGen air traffic control modernization program, "this is really just Phase One of a project that extends out more than a decade," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
What is ADS-B?
In an industry already swimming with abbreviations, ADS-B is one you should get to know. It's a lot simpler when you break it down, letter by letter.
The "A" stands for automatic. It means you don't have to do anything except fly the airplane. The "D" stands for dependent. Unlike something you might claim on tax forms, "dependent" here means that it relies on a positioning source. The "S" as in surveillance means that air traffic control can see you, even when there's no radar coverage such as in remote parts of Alaska. Finally, the "B" stands for broadcast. That means your aircraft is not only receiving but also sending information to other ADS-B-equipped aircraft and controllers.
Now let's throw two more abbreviations at you: TIS-B and FIS-B. The first one stands for traffic information service broadcast. ATC radar picks up the data, thanks to Mode C transponder reports, and sends it to your aircraft via ground-based stations. FIS-B stands for flight information service broadcast and provides graphical and textual weather information, also from ground-based stations.
So what are the benefits? It means a huge cost savings for the FAA because the agency can invest in inexpensive ground-based transceivers rather than multimillion-dollar radar systems. AOPA, on the other hand, wants pilots to benefit from free access to weather and traffic data, which would increase safety and efficiency. Also, AOPA wants to make sure the equipment requirements are not excessive.
But until the FAA actually publishes its ADS-B proposal, we won't know the specifics. Stay tuned.
AOPA honors journalists with Karant awards
The 2007 Karant Awards were presented at AOPA Expo to three recipients for their fair, insightful, and accurate coverage of general aviation.
Jennifer Manley, of WVII-TV in Bangor, Maine, won for her short television feature. In her first flight lesson, Manley showed viewers the ease with which she flew the airplane. With her instructor at her side, Manley took control of the aircraft in this inspiring learn-to-fly story.
When Dave Hirschman's mom bought an airplane and needed to ferry it from Oklahoma to California, she invited her son to join her. Not only did Hirschman embrace the challenge of flying with his mom, but he also served as her flight instructor during the trip. He won a Karant Award for his article, published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which shows what many pilots learn the hard way--it's not always easy to fly with family.
The San Diego Union-Tribune's David Hasemyer won a Karant Award for his series of articles about a building constructed near San Diego's Montgomery Field, even after the FAA issued a hazard determination on the building because of its height. The city of San Diego eventually issued a stop-work order on the construction and ordered the top two floors of this building be removed. Hasemyer's in-depth research and ongoing coverage of the issue, city politics, and miscommunication that led to the construction has been a nationwide example to cities that favor development near their airports.
The awards are named for the late Max Karant, founder of AOPA Pilot magazine and the association's first senior vice president.
CFIs: Time to renew? ASF has you covered
The AOPA Air Safety Foundation offers the most comprehensive range of flight instructor certificate renewal options available. As the original Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic (FIRC) provider, ASF has more than 30 years of experience working with instructors to make the renewal process as painless as possible. CFIs can choose to renew their certificates at one of more than 90 weekend seminars across the country, sharing professional insights and experiences with their fellow instructors. Those who prefer to renew online can choose to take an engaging multimedia program that combines the strengths of ASF's live FIRC with the best of Jeppesen's home-study course.
The online FIRC is only $119, while the live program is $190 with preregistration. Unlike some providers, ASF includes the cost of issuing a temporary certificate in the up-front price. For more information, visit AOPA Online.
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