Erick Turley NPRM Docket No: 2007- 29305

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Optimizing the Benefits of

ADS-B

By Erick Turley

University of Central Missouri

November 2007

Erick Turley NPRM Docket No: 2007- 29305

On October 5, 2007 the Federal Aviation Administration issued

Notice No. 07-15, Automatic Dependent Surveillance- Broadcast (ADS-B)
Out-

Performance requirements to support Air Traffic Control (ATC service (72
FR 56947;

October 5, 2007). The NPRM examined the early operation of the ADS-B
system with

existing aircraft. The ADS-B Out system was discussed in regards to the
mandate (DO-

260A Out and DO-282A Out). The available potential benefits for ADS-B IN
system

were also mentioned as well as other future applications.

The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-S) is said to be the
next

generation of aircraft transportation and navigational system. It is
proposed to one day

replace the Mode-C transponder altitude reporting system. The ADS-B is
satellite based

and consists of unique 24-bit identification system. Intended as a
quicker and more

efficient system allowing flight crews to notify emergency situations
with access to a

category size emitter. The FAA insures that once the system is online it
will mature in

functionality as it is adopted in the global community.

The ADS-B- Out system sends messages from surrounding aircraft and
ground

unlinked broadcast services to enable an increased communication and
situational

awareness. The Traffic Information Service (FIS-B) would assist in
provide the aircraft

with signals enabling different data links to transmit broadcast
services. The broadcast

service infrastructure would be called the ADS-B Rebroadcast (ADS-R).
These signals

would be required to enable future advanced applications. Depending on
the availability

Erick Turley NPRM Docket No: 2007- 29305

of additional processing and displaying tools, an expanded set of
aircraft-to-aircraft

applications and services could be offered.

The report explains the benefits of surveillance and broadcast services

chronologically and by level of equipage. The report also provides
recommendations on

how the government might accelerate the realization of benefits through
financial

incentives to help increase the operational benefits for early ADS-B
equipage.

In order for the ADS-B to be used as the new primary source of
surveillance

system, all operators within certain airspace will have to be equipped
with ADS-B

avionics. The system could not provide befits necessary to accommodate
the current and

future needs of the National Airspace System (NAS) without a requirement
of equipage

for the nations busiest airspaces.

The Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) believes that some combination
of

financial incentives and operational benefits will be required to
significantly accelerate

the ADS-B equipage before the compliance date of the proposed rule. The
ARC has

confidence in the FAA ability to deploy the ADS-D ground infrastructure.
However, the

ARC is concerned with the FAA's ability to approve operational
procedures to provide

early benefits for aircraft equipped with ADS-B beyond those benefits
available with

current technology.

The ARC experts report that the ADS-B standards for avionics equipage
will

comply with international equipment standards of 1090 MHz with an
extended squitter

\(1090\) frequency and the 978 MHz universal access transceiver (UAT)
frequency

meeting the dual needs of a wide variety of aircraft types.

The FAA mandate is said to recognize the long term implications of a
global

Erick Turley NPRM Docket No: 2007- 29305

acceptance of this system. However the mandate only requires implication
of the ADS-

Out system. The mandate does not require the ADS-In system with would
only allow an

increased level of ground communication with aircraft flight crews. This
would not allow

pilots to access available information from other aircraft.

The FAA projected costs for this system is said to be minimal but for
the general

aviation the costs could be much higher. The artificial estimated costs
for ADS-B system

was reported as being comparable to the cost of a Mode-C transponder
around \$4000 not

including taxes. The AOPA is skeptical to the benefit to the GA and
wants insurances

that a tax decrease will be applicable to all general aviation aircraft.

The benefits are easy to see in regards to U.S. Air Traffic Control and

international airline communication however, the benefit to general
aviation is minimal.

Without a mandate requiring both the ADS-B Out and ADS-B In systems the
true

operational benefits will not be fully applicable. The full adoption of
this new technology

may take some time especially is regards to the ADS-B In equipage, and
with unknown

Governmental influence the proposed benefits of this system may take
several years.

Erick Turley NPRM Docket No: 2007- 29305

References Used

FAA NPRM Docket No. 2007-29305

http.//faa.gov/regulations_polices.rulemaking/recently_published/

Federal Register / Vol. 72, No 193/Friday, October 5, 2007/ Proposed
rules