Rotorfossil

Ah yes, there is ADS-B, and then there is ADS-B that is completely different!

Trouble is "ADS-B" doesn't tell you which means are used to transmit the data - could be either Mode S (1090 MHz) as in the N Sea, or the UAT (978MHz) as in Alaksa.

The N Sea (including Dutch airspace) idea is to use Mode S to allow ATC to see you without a rotating radar head. It doesn't allow other aircraft to know where you are unless either ATC tell them, or they have TCAS.

The Alaska idea is to use UAT to propagate the data to all participants, who have nice displays in the cockpit such as you mention. Clearly this idea needs much more mod work for the aircraft cockpit, especially if displays have to be integrated into existing EFIS.

However, I am not sure I am totally jealous of the Alaska system. Its great when there is no ATC but I wonder how useful it is when there is a degree of ATC such as there is in N Sea. We are already in danger of pilots using TCAS as a "traffic management system" (mortal sin!) and the addition of even more alluring data would only increase that tendancy. Too many pilots doing their own thing whilst looking at the nice ADS-B traffic displays in areas of fairly high traffic density might spell disaster. That is why we have ATC!

HC

They have plenty of traffic, all doing their own thing around Juneau which is the whole point. The nice bit about ADS/B UAT is that it also helps those away from any radar cover (like in the middle of Scotland).
My point also was that presumably the GOM traffic situation is similar to the North Sea and they are going with the above system, as is Australia, Sweden and others. I wonder in the end whether having spent the money on a radar based system, we will in the future find that the UAT system, surprise surprise becomes the world standard because it also works where they is no dense radar environment.