TLS - an alternative to ILS, dGPS and MLS?

[Squawk7777]

Advanced Navigation and Positioning Corporation (ANPC) based in Hood River, OR has developed a landing system that uses transponder signals to track and guide aircraft on final approach.
FAA has qualified ANPC's Transponder Landing System (TLS) to meet or exceed ICAO standards for CAT I precision approaches.
The TLS locates and tracks an aircraft using the transponder's reply to 2 ground-based sensors based on its azimuth, elevation angle and range. The system's guidance is given to the aircraft by emulating standard ILS signals. TLS required no additional equipment to benefit from the system's guidance feature.
Professional Pilot, Nov 2001

[Prof2MDA]

This is old news. FedEx has been utilizing this technology to operate approaches into Subic Bay, P.I. for several years now. The system works ok, it is not as smooth as other types of approaches as it sends the LOC signal and then the G/S signal. This makes for a bit of a "jerky" approach. Wouldn't be a problem if handflown, I suppose.

[OzExpat]

It's also only useful at places with low air traffic density. That is, ATC can't "flow" arrivals the same as for ILS/MLS etc because the aircraft in front of you blocks the signals to your receiver.

Thus, one arrival at a time, with very large time gaps between successive arrivals. How much holding fuel do you like to carry?

[Squawk7777]

I guess MLS still will be an option...

Called Jepp today and asked them if they could send me some sample TLS approach plates. The guy @ Jepp thought that I had one too many Foster's... :D

Anybody seen one?

[OzExpat]

I asked Jepps pretty much the same question a year or more back. They were a little more polite with me coz we liaise on a very regular basis. The up shot tho, was pretty much the same coz they knew nothing about them.

I also tried to get more concrete info out of the makers, ANPC, but they never replied. I concluded that I'd asked a few too many questions that they couldn't answer... :eek:

[Squawk7777]

I guess we know too much.... :D