Dick Smith
I would love to see a really good multilateration system working in Tasmania that gives (as was planned) a radar-like surveillance service right to the runway. That is actually what was originally intended if you look at the old Airservices Annual Reports. If it needs a few more multilateration transceivers, let’s wack them in and get a really good service.
I looked at some old Airservices Annual Reports, creative writing perhaps.
Annual Report 2010-2011
Airservices also introduced the first phase of surveillance approaches to Launceston and Hobart airports in June 2011. These enhanced air traffic control services build on the introduction of advanced air traffic control surveillance technology known as Wide Area Multilateration (WAM), which was commissioned in Tasmania in June 2010.
Not entirely sure what is meant by surveillance approaches, open to debate, interpretation and mis-interpretation.
Annual Report 2009-2010
In June 2010, Airservices commissioned Australia’s first Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) radar system in Tasmania. The $6 million system is one of the largest geographical deployments of WAM in the world. The system provides enhanced en route surveillance of air traffic across Tasmania and radar-like coverage down to the surface at Hobart. The same technology will be deployed in Sydney later in 2010 to enhance parallel runway operations.
En route surveillance and radar-like coverage down to the surface at Hobart. Whilst this is true, the statement is silent on who would be providing the service, Centre vs Tower. Once again, open to debate, interpretation and mis-interpretation.
Airservices is very Centre-centric, two major centres - that is where the $ are earnt (en route charges), Towers have been the poor cousins, in fact for a number of years the Towers were a separate business unit (to the rest of the ATC Group). As I recall, they had been set-up as a separate business unit (Airport Services - Towers and ARFF) as there were indications that the Towers and ARFF could be sold to the highest bidder (Serco, DSE et al) or at the very least "Airport Services" would be contestable. It didn’t happen but there was a huge and expensive divide that needed to be repaired and during the "lost years" there was very little spent on the Towers.
Going from TSAT (the Tower Situational Awareness Tool) to CASR Part 171&172 compliant radar displays in all Towers wouldn’t be cheap. I guess INTAS (Integrated Tower Automation Suite) will deliver that technology but a retro-fit into all existing Towers will be a long and painful process.
Annual Report 2004–2005
During the year, we began setting up Australia’s network of Automatic Dependent Surveillance—Broadcast (ADS–B) ground stations. When the network is complete early in 2006, ADS–B will allow high quality surveillance of suitably equipped aircraft in upper airspace (above 30,000 feet) over the entire continent.
We are working with the industry and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) towards mandatory ADS–B in certain airspace from 2009. CASA published a regulatory change discussion paper for comment late in 2004, and a notice of proposed rule making is expected in 2006. With ASTRA and Access Economics, we developed a cross-industry business case and cost–benefit analysis for mandatory ADS–B in Australia, changes to navigation equipment of smaller aircraft and extended comprehensive surveillance coverage. Subject to government consideration, this could extend ADS-B into lower airspace.
CASA has approved a five nautical mile separation standard for aircraft operating in the Burnett Basin trial whose positions are derived from ADS–B. This is a significant milestone in our objective to introduce ADS–B surveillance nationally.
Annual Report 2005–2006
During the year, Airservices continued the introduction of ADS–B aircraft surveillance technology, with five of 28 ground stations commissioned.
ADS–B technology provides:
• low-cost air traffic control that can replace en route radars and allow surveillance to be provided where there is none today
• for pilots, the ability to be aware of nearby air traffic, which reduces risk
• base upon which advanced air-to-air applications can be built, improving efficiency and safety.
ADS–B is an enabler for the future of air traffic management worldwide and will allow air traffic controllers to provide more efficient separation services to suitably equipped aircraft in upper airspace (above 30,000 feet).
After successful trials during the year in the Burnett Basin in Queensland, four new ADS–B stations came on line in June 2006 at Longreach, Bourke, Esperance and Woomera.
The introduction of ADS–B for lower airspace, in lieu of en route radars, is now the subject of consultation with the aviation industry and the government to consider the likely costs involved, the timeframe for introduction and the possible phasing of implementation.
The above two quotes highlight that ADSB has been discussed in the Airservices Annual Reports for more than a decade.