ADS-B mandate – huge misallocation of resources
Thread Starter
ADS-B mandate – huge misallocation of resources
Last week I flew the Cessna C208 from Bankstown to Gundaroo, Swan Hill, Kingscote on Kangaroo Island and the return trip via Echuca and Gundaroo to Bankstown.
As I always do, I monitored the correct “area” frequencies all the way. I perhaps listened to over 100 calls, not one relevant to me. They were mainly high flying airline aircraft not giving position reports. Some of the calls I heard were clearly from Tasmania. It is clearly a ridiculous “cry wolf” system that is over complicated.
Interestingly enough, in the Victorian area I received a number of calls from what was obviously students from the Chinese flying schools – they were practising their English, giving position reports. Good on them. It is amazing how the Chinese Communist Government is doing everything it can to get more pilots trained.
What I noticed – and something I have noticed in flying for the last three or four years – was that there was virtually no other traffic around at the airports at which I landed. At Kingscote I was told not to park on the sealed apron. I like to park there because helps to reduce rocks being picked up in the propeller, however I parked around in the general aviation section. I noted that when I arrived at Kingscote, and when I departed, there was not one aircraft on the huge apron at all.
The Caravan has the very latest Garmin ADS-B equipment so I wanted to check that it was working. When I departed Sydney I called Sydney Centre 124.55. I also called Canberra Approach 124.5 when going into Gundaroo, and called a controller on one of the Adelaide frequencies when flying past the Adelaide controlled airspace. Each time I was told that the controller had no method of receiving ADS-B.
Can you imagine that? These people at CASA – and I understand they are still there, receiving enormous salaries – pushed ADS-B on the general aviation community for IFR aircraft, yet didn’t require Airservices to at least fit ADS-B in their terminal radar facilities.
Here you have a $1 billion company saving a bit whilst clearly reducing safety – whilst the Clamback and Hennessy company owners had to take out a second mortgage out on their house to pay for ADS-B.
The Sydney radar operator on 124.55 was most helpful. He said to me, “We don’t have ADS-B because we have excellent SSR coverage in the Sydney area.” Presumably that is also why they haven’t fitted it to Canberra Approach, or the Adelaide Approach facility.
Understand the sheer bastardry of this. CASA forced ADS-B onto GA non-pressurised aircraft, whilst Airservices put coverage right across Australia above 30,000 for enroute airline aircraft. The claim was that up to $30 million would be saved by direct tracking of aircraft. It looks as if the airlines are not getting any appreciable change in direct tracking, and general aviation normally flies directly in uncontrolled airspace anyway.
I wrote many letters to try to stop the ADS-B mandate and to point out the lies in the ADS-B NPRM prepared by CASA. I got absolutely nowhere – meanwhile some GA operators have been forced into debt or gone to VFR only because they can’t afford to upgrade.
As I always do, I monitored the correct “area” frequencies all the way. I perhaps listened to over 100 calls, not one relevant to me. They were mainly high flying airline aircraft not giving position reports. Some of the calls I heard were clearly from Tasmania. It is clearly a ridiculous “cry wolf” system that is over complicated.
Interestingly enough, in the Victorian area I received a number of calls from what was obviously students from the Chinese flying schools – they were practising their English, giving position reports. Good on them. It is amazing how the Chinese Communist Government is doing everything it can to get more pilots trained.
What I noticed – and something I have noticed in flying for the last three or four years – was that there was virtually no other traffic around at the airports at which I landed. At Kingscote I was told not to park on the sealed apron. I like to park there because helps to reduce rocks being picked up in the propeller, however I parked around in the general aviation section. I noted that when I arrived at Kingscote, and when I departed, there was not one aircraft on the huge apron at all.
The Caravan has the very latest Garmin ADS-B equipment so I wanted to check that it was working. When I departed Sydney I called Sydney Centre 124.55. I also called Canberra Approach 124.5 when going into Gundaroo, and called a controller on one of the Adelaide frequencies when flying past the Adelaide controlled airspace. Each time I was told that the controller had no method of receiving ADS-B.
Can you imagine that? These people at CASA – and I understand they are still there, receiving enormous salaries – pushed ADS-B on the general aviation community for IFR aircraft, yet didn’t require Airservices to at least fit ADS-B in their terminal radar facilities.
Here you have a $1 billion company saving a bit whilst clearly reducing safety – whilst the Clamback and Hennessy company owners had to take out a second mortgage out on their house to pay for ADS-B.
The Sydney radar operator on 124.55 was most helpful. He said to me, “We don’t have ADS-B because we have excellent SSR coverage in the Sydney area.” Presumably that is also why they haven’t fitted it to Canberra Approach, or the Adelaide Approach facility.
Understand the sheer bastardry of this. CASA forced ADS-B onto GA non-pressurised aircraft, whilst Airservices put coverage right across Australia above 30,000 for enroute airline aircraft. The claim was that up to $30 million would be saved by direct tracking of aircraft. It looks as if the airlines are not getting any appreciable change in direct tracking, and general aviation normally flies directly in uncontrolled airspace anyway.
I wrote many letters to try to stop the ADS-B mandate and to point out the lies in the ADS-B NPRM prepared by CASA. I got absolutely nowhere – meanwhile some GA operators have been forced into debt or gone to VFR only because they can’t afford to upgrade.
The Sydney radar operator on 124.55 was most helpful. He said to me, “We don’t have ADS-B because we have excellent SSR coverage in the Sydney area.” Presumably that is also why they haven’t fitted it to Canberra Approach, or the Adelaide Approach facility.
As you probably know, they also have very good primary radar cover as well.
After all, somebody up to no good is hardly going to leave their transponder on.
One figure I saw, some time ago, quoted in terms of newly planned upgrades of primary radar cover, "85%" of the Australian population (which is conveniently where most of the remaining air traffic is found) would be covered from aerial threats by the "new" high precision primary radar being touted.
Tootle pip!!
Today's more bad news on ADS-B...
FAA extends requirements to 2040. I guess some folks are only 20+ years early.
Pity this was a 1st April story..
FAA extends requirements to 2040. I guess some folks are only 20+ years early.
Pity this was a 1st April story..
Aaaaaactually, Folks,
At last estimate, the count of how much of the US airline fleet is ADS-B "ready" varies between about 18-28%, and the capacity to modify the balance before deadlines simply does not exist ---- and huge political pressure is being exerted for a long extension, 10 years has been mentioned in polite company.
Of course, part justification is based on arguments that FAA's ATC modernization program is way behind timetable and over budget.
The GA fleet situation is better, but not by much, having the choice between 1090ES and a much superior broadband system.
Tootle pip!!
At last estimate, the count of how much of the US airline fleet is ADS-B "ready" varies between about 18-28%, and the capacity to modify the balance before deadlines simply does not exist ---- and huge political pressure is being exerted for a long extension, 10 years has been mentioned in polite company.
Of course, part justification is based on arguments that FAA's ATC modernization program is way behind timetable and over budget.
The GA fleet situation is better, but not by much, having the choice between 1090ES and a much superior broadband system.
Tootle pip!!
Works for me! No position reports, plenty of cleared levels immediately, occasional "radar" vector out in the boonies to effect a climb through somebody else's level, traffic info on VFR at 2000ft in the weeds east of the boonies, nice tight DTI. Bring more on!
ADS-B not used in major terminal areas due to a 5NM separation requirement - 3NM is used in terminals which SSR and multilateration systems (SYD Only) can provide (Tasmanian multilat is 5NM system). Primary radar only used around capital cities to guard airspace boundaries. If DS had asked an en-route sector controller they would have been able to see his ADS-B provided there was a nearby receiver - current ones are designed to cover airspace above FL290 but show all ADS-B within range.
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ADS-B not used in major terminal areas due to a 5NM separation requirement - 3NM is used in terminals which SSR and multilateration systems (SYD Only) can provide (Tasmanian multilat is 5NM system). Primary radar only used around capital cities to guard airspace boundaries. If DS had asked an en-route sector controller they would have been able to see his ADS-B provided there was a nearby receiver - current ones are designed to cover airspace above FL290 but show all ADS-B within range.
I understand aviation can be expensive but I'd rather spend the $10-$15K on other things than on ADS-B which is useless for my regular route between YMEN and YGWA above 5000'.
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If you were flying that route at or above 5-6000ft you would have had coverage the whole way and got a info service the whole way if you asked. Coverage in the South-East is quite good as far as I'm aware. As to the separation restrictions, I can't say. There are lots of factors that would be involved in changing that.
Thread Starter
Block. So a pilot has been forced to pay a small fortune for a unit that shows aircraft position with incredible accuracy and is then provided with a 1950s “ info” service?
That’s a huge leap forward in safety.
That’s a huge leap forward in safety.
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Well the service they get is pretty much the same as an IFR service, but for free and CENSAR keeps the sartimes. I see lots of flight plans floating around taking advantage of it.
My ex-colleagues tell me that things have moved on - ADS-B is good for 3NM separation. They also tell me that it feeds the radar plot along with the other sensors so controllers don't know the system is using it. If the SSR coverage runs out the they will see an ADS-B symbol (Apparently the system will display an SSR symbol before an ADS-B symbol when both are being received). I also got the impression that the ATCs cannot select what they are looking at so would have been unable to do the check of ADS-B as Dick wanted.
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I have been reliably informed that the quoted cost of upgrading the terminal software to display ADSB was so great that AsA decided it was a ripoff and not to go ahead.
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My ex-colleagues tell me that things have moved on - ADS-B is good for 3NM separation. They also tell me that it feeds the radar plot along with the other sensors so controllers don't know the system is using it. If the SSR coverage runs out the they will see an ADS-B symbol (Apparently the system will display an SSR symbol before an ADS-B symbol when both are being received). I also got the impression that the ATCs cannot select what they are looking at so would have been unable to do the check of ADS-B as Dick wanted.
EDIT: Not sure about the 3nm. It's not in the docs up here. IANAE but I do agree the ADSB would be more accurate than a rotating head.
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Something I wouldn't put past them. Since the excuse "one sky is coming" has been used on other things too.
I for one am glad that Airsevices is not wasting money installing software and hardware that provides no additional surveillance capability as obviously radar covers the whole area in question.