Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013 - 51

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and traffic information system-broadcast (TIS-B) advisory services. These two data products provide in-flight weather and aeronautical information (FIS-B), and improve a pilot’s awareness of nearby traffic known to ATC (TIS-B). Here’s the catch: While aircraft equipped to comply with the 1090ES standard will receive TIS-B data – enabling at least the traffic portion of ADS-B In – only equipment compatible with the 978 UAT standard can receive FIS-B. In other words, obtaining the free information provided by FIS-B is only possible if you equip your aircraft with an ADS-B receiver compatible with 978 UAT. Aircraft required to carry 1090ES equipment also will need a 978 UAT receiver to obtain FIS-B, while operators not needing to operate in Class A airspace can get by quite nicely with just a 978 UAT transceiver. ADS-B In All of this is likely to frustrate many personal aircraft operators who routinely use the flight levels, but who also want or need the benefits of FIS-B. While they must have 1090ES to operate in Class A airspace or internationally, they won’t receive FIS-B unless they also add 978 UAT equipment. Thankfully, there’s nothing preventing an operator from installing avionics meeting both the 1090ES and 978 UAT standards, except perhaps financial resources and the available space to mount everything. There’s also nothing preventing avionics manufacturers from coming up with a box incorporating both standards, except market demand. And what are FIS-B and TIS-B, anyway? If you’re familiar with the XM WX Satellite Weather service, you’re familiar with FIS-B. While the two systems are completely different, the data they provide is basically the same. One major difference: The XM WX service can include information not presently available via FIS-B, mainly lightning strike plots and satellite imagery. Also, FIS-B may not be available until your aircraft is at or above a certain altitude, and the exact value depends on its proximity to an ADS-B transmitter. Otherwise, the FIS-B data stream is very similar to that available via XM WX – including the intervals between updates – and provides textual weather (METARs/TAFs), weather graphics in the form of Nexrad radar imagery, NOTAMs and TFRs, PIRTEPs, winds aloft, ATIS and related information. And, it’s free. Meanwhile, TIS-B provides traffic information in the cockpit, much like TCAS does now. However, instead of using airborne equipment to interrogate nearby transponders as with TCAS, TIS-B obtains its data from the FAA’s ground-based stations. According to the FAA, “TIS-B is an advisory-only service available to both 1090ES and UAT equipment users, which aids in the visual acquisition of surrounding transponderbased traffic to increase situational awareness.” Again, TIS-B is availContinued on following page…

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013