Safety & Technology Trends

New NTSB Chairman

Deborah Hersman, who has been a member of the National Transportation Safety Board for the past fiveyears, has been sworn in as the Safety Board's 12th chairman. Hersman was nominated for the two-year term as chairman by the While House last month and confirmed by the U.S, Senate on July 24. She was also nominated and confirmed for a second five-year term as a board member, which runs through December 31, 2013. Hersman joined the NTSB on June 21, 2004. In 2006, she chaired a two-day public hearing investigating a fire on board UPS Airlines flight 1307. She also chaired a three- day public hearing in June 2005 on a crash involving a regional jet in Jefferson City, Missouri. Before joining the NTSB, she was a senior professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation from 1999 to 2004.

ADS-B Solutions from Becker Avionics

Becker Avionics says a new line of Mode S Transponders will be available by the end of 2009 after having successfully testing its ADS-B-Out and ADS-B-In technologies for airborne solutions. The new BXP62xx & BXT62xx Mode S Transponder Series features ADS-B out capability and certification according to AMC 20-24 and TSO-C166a. Among other features the new series will have the capability to be used as a Mode A/C transponder if used without the address module and to interface with off-the-shelf GPS receivers, such as Freeflight (1201, 1203, 1204) and Accord Technology NexNav (mini, max). For existing Becker Avionics BXP640x series Mode S transponder customers, Becker Avionics will offer an affordable upgrade solution to the BXP62xx series (SW upgrade). An announcement of a definitive date for the availability of the new Becker Avionics ADS-B Out Transponder is forthcoming as Becker Avionics awaits final certification.

WAM & ADS-B for the Azores

Era has been selected by NAVPortugal to deliver a wide area multilateration (WAM) and ADS-B system for the central group of islands in the Azores. Era's solution will utilize its MSS multilateration and ADS-B system to provide NAV Portugal with highly accurate, reliable and redundant surveillance. Coverage from the solution will ensure safe and efficient coverage of the approach, departure and go-around zones of Portugal's Horta airport and will extend to over 100 nautical miles in most directions, with accuracy sufficient to enable both en-route and approach separation services. Each MSS module is built to IP67standards, ensuring ingress protection against salt water, wind, sand and other contaminants. Additionally, the proposed solution places multilateration and ADS-B receivers on several islands in the archipelago, and will utilize Era's expertise in wide area systems deployment -- using satellite synchronization technology to establish a large area of high-precision surveillance over vast areas of ocean.

Garmin Leads the Way to NextGen

Garmin International has unveiled the GTS 800 and GTS 820 traffic advisory systems (TAS), and the GTS 850 traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS I). These systems combine active and passive surveillance data to pinpoint specific traffic threats. The systems use Garmin's patent-pending CLEAR CAS technology and correlates ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) and radar targets to provide pilots with the most accurate picture of the sky. "The GTS series incorporates ADS-B In technology, which is one of the cornerstones of the FAA's NextGen program and worldwide airspace infrastructure," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's vice president of marketing. "As ADS-B coverage improves worldwide, the expanded capabilities of the GTS system will be realized. We're ready for the NextGen system."

ITT on FAA's ATO-Terminal Project

ITT has been awarded a $67 million contract by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Traffic Organization-Terminal (ATO-T). Under the contract, ITT will help the FAA define, engineer, and implement the next generation of airport terminal air traffic control systems. Airport terminal operations are positioned within 50 nautical miles of airports to safely and efficiently guide aircraft in and out of airports across the country. The contract is for one base year with three, one-year options. Work will be performed out of ITT's Washington, D.C. office. ATO-T customers are commercial airlines, private aviation and the military. ATO-T is responsible for the delivery of terminal services to the customer and implementing new technology to support all terminal operations. The ATO-T organization consists of 35,000 controllers, technicians, engineers, and support personnel.

Hartsfield to Deploy Aerobahn

Atlanta's Department of Aviation (DOA) has selected the Sensis airport automation and management tool, Aerobahn, to provide the DOA and airlines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International with a comprehensive view of airport surface traffic. Aerobahn will enable airport stakeholders to collaborate and make decisions that enhance airfield efficiency and reduce delays for travelers. Sensis Aerobahn combines airside operational information, such as flight schedules, with the exact location and identification of aircraft and vehicles on the surface of the airport for a real-time, comprehensive view of surface operations. Through the DOA, each airline at Hartsfield-Jackson and the FAA will have access to the web-based Aerobahn service with the ability to customize Aerobahn with their operational data.

OCAS Approved for Use in NAS

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently published a memo announcing the approved use of Audio Visual Warning Systems (AVWS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) and the administration's intentions to update Advisory Circular 70/7460-1K, Obstruction Marking and Lighting, the recommended marking standards for obstacles that penetrate the NAS. An AVWS is a system that activates obstruction lighting and audio signals to alert the pilot of potential collisions with obstacles. OCAS is the first AVWS to be installed, tested, and approved in the NAS. An AVWS is designed to significantly reduce the potential for a wire strike or obstacle collision for low flying aircraft. There are over 5000 such incidents/accidents in the National Transportation Safety Board database.

GPS-Aided Indian Air Nav System

The Indian Space Research Organization has awarded an $82 million contract to Raytheon to modernize the Indian air navigation system. Raytheon will build the ground stations for the GPS-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System, and ISRO will provide the space segment and additional ground equipment. GAGAN will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian airspace and adjoining areas in South and East Asia. Raytheon is the only company that has delivered satellite-based augmentation systems that have been certified for safety-of-flight operations. The company developed the Federal Aviation Administration's Wide Area Augmentation System and was engaged in the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau's Multi-Function Transport Satellite Augmentation System.