Avionics News April 2022 - 49

OK, fair enough.
Replacing decades-old secondary surveillance
radar with latency issues and inaccuracy growing
by the mile between the radar antenna and the target
imposes a drag on airspace capacity. We've known
that for years.
ADS-B, using the accuracy of an IFR-approved
GPS navigation system, exceeds in accuracy all
the SSR radar systems; the higher refresh rate of
ADS-B and the greater accuracy help the FAA in
its quest to squeeze in more airplanes than possible
with SSR.
The refresh rate reduces the latency issue; the
IFR GPS suffers no accuracy problems related to
the space between antenna and target. So higher
airspace capacity is to the benefit of all of us who
fly, whether as passenger or pilot in command.
Admittedly, being required to continue to carry
and maintain a transponder is a budget and weight
pain - except for operators who opt for a 1090ES
Mode S transponder for their ADS-B solution.
And as noted above, many pilots simply cannot
afford the stand-alone traffic and weather systems;
$20,000 in new gear for a $25,000 airplane?
For those pilots, the cost of adding ADS-B In
can be as little as the fee for a tablet or smartphone
and the fee for the EFB software that can get you
weather and traffic - and at no subscription costs,
only the cost of the hardware. And building an
ADS-B In receiver is within the skill set of many
electronics-savvy operators.
Problems? What problems?
It may clash with some peoples' views of
government and government projects, but ADS-B
was arguably better tested and rolled out more
smoothly than most expected and most predicted.
Credit the lengthy development period and thorough
shakedown period ADS-B enjoyed.
It started with the Capstone Project in Alaska
followed by the Ohio Valley adoption to the benefit
of traffic headed to Louisville International. Then
there was the launch of ADS-B-based service in
the Gulf of Mexico, to the benefit of the off-shore
helicopter community. And years ahead of the
mandate.
Those ADS-B-equipped operators enjoyed a huge
reduction in traffic-separation standards and a major
increase in utility in inclement weather - which was
one of the expected benefits. This isn't to say there
were no problems.
Flipping the " on " switch and connecting some
800-odd ground stations did pose some connectivity
problems. But a look at the nearly seamless
changeover in the Gulf of Mexico revealed that
problems were short lived.
There are still parts of the country where ADS-B
coverage is subject to altitude limitations; in other
parts of the country - largely areas that suffered with
spotty radar coverage to begin with - connectivity
remains an issue, mostly for aircraft flying in the
lower strata of those segments.
For the most part, the changeover from SSR to
ADS-B traffic-separation and flow management
occurred with barely a hiccup. In fact, thousands
of pilots embraced ADS-B In years even before the
mandate deadline.
On the flip side of that success, a significant
portion of the business-turbine operating population
had to queue up and wait for a package to earn its
STC allowing installation in their aircraft. Some
still wait, operating on the graces of a waiver system
the FAA created for such aircraft. And systems with
ADS-B In and Out even exist for light-sport aircraft.
In the end? Not perfect,
but better than most
One of my favorite phrases - particularly from
technicians and politicians - comes in the form of
an entreaty from Voltaire: " Don't let the perfect be
the enemy of the good. " In other words, instead of
pushing yourself to an impossible " perfect, " and
therefore getting nowhere, accept " good. "
While many things worth doing are worth doing
badly, ADS-B isn't a success done badly. With
ADS-B, it looks like the FAA got it just right. q
avionics news * april 2022 49
Avionics News April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2022
