Horizon Uses Technology to Cut Fog

Capitalizing on the success of its new, more efficient approach procedure at Wantachee, Wash., which reduced weather delays and cancellations at the airport, Horizon is now deploying a Head-up Guidance System (HGS) at Great Falls using Great Falls International Airport’s new Category III (CAT III) landing minima to increase reliability at the often fog-shrouded airport. Horizon Air received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to use the system earlier this month. These minima permit aircraft equipped with the Head-up Guidance System (HGS) – informally called the “fogbuster” – to land in lower visibility than previously allowed.
HGS-equipped aircraft landing on Great Falls’ CAT III designated runway need only 600 feet of runway visibility to land, as opposed to the 1,800 feet required for other aircraft. Horizon is the only passenger carrier serving Great Falls that operates HGS-equipped aircraft. The lower minima have paid off reducing cancellations from 45 a year ago to 14. For a complete report, including other Horizon initiatives that take advantage of NextGen technologies, see the next issue of Regional Aviation News.