Enhanced Surveillance of Aircraft and Vehicles (ESAV'11) – September 12-14, 2011

Following the successful Symposia ESAVS 2007 in Bonn/Germany, ESAV’08 in Capri/Italy and ESAVS 2010 in Berlin/Germany, ESAV’11 is dedicated to ing up-to-date information to researchers, operational experts and decision makers in the world of sensors and systems development, tracking, sensor data fusion, avionics and airport operations as well as of the pertaining air traffic control… Continue reading Enhanced Surveillance of Aircraft and Vehicles (ESAV'11) – September 12-14, 2011

Tasmania Airspace Now Controlled With High Accuracy Sensis WAM

First Multilateration System in Australia to Separate Aircraft in both En Route and Terminal Airspace Sensis Corporation’s Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) system over Tasmania, Australia has passed its safety case by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and is now operational. The system uses both multilateration and Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) to provide… Continue reading Tasmania Airspace Now Controlled With High Accuracy Sensis WAM

Multilateration – Executive Reference Guide

Multilateration (often shortened to MLAT) is a surveillance technology that promises to satisfy surveillance requirements in most circumstances and it is seen as the best option in the transition to ADS-B based surveillance. It is no accident that organizations around the globe are turning to this technology, not least because it offers a solution that… Continue reading Multilateration – Executive Reference Guide

Learn a new abbreviation: NIEC! – NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability

All information seems to suggest that NIEC will play an important role in getting the FAA’s NextGen off the ground. Located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC), Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, the mission of the NexGen Integration and Evaluation Capability is to foster the exploration, evaluation and integration of NextGen enabling… Continue reading Learn a new abbreviation: NIEC! – NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability

FAA releases final rule on ADS-B

It has been some time in coming, but finally here it is, the FAA’s final rule on ADS-B. This final rule amends FAA regulations by adding equipage requirements and performance standards for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS–B) Out avionics on aircraft operating in Classes A, B, and C airspace, as well as certain other specified classes… Continue reading FAA releases final rule on ADS-B

ADS-B and MLAT – No technology war

There will still be people who remember what a VHS cassette looked like and a few who remember the epic technology war between Betamax, System2000 and VHS. More recently, the Blu-Ray disc won in a similar battle in the consumer electronics field only to face quick extinction as the world moves towards on-line entertainment distribution.… Continue reading ADS-B and MLAT – No technology war

Aircraft based tools in the fight against runway incursions

Aircraft-based airport surface traffic indications and alerting systems This is an edited version of the presentation made at the recent ESAVS 2010 conference by Doug Arbuckle of the FAA. Coauthors of the paper were David E. Gray of FAA, Peter Moertl of Mitre Corporation and Jim Duke of SAIC. You can download the original text of… Continue reading Aircraft based tools in the fight against runway incursions

SWIM – proper terminology at last?

During the SESAR definition phase we had to spend a lot of time explaining to the various authors that talking about System Wide Information Management (SWIM) using the old terminology is counter productive and will only make the documents more difficult to understand (and easier to misunderstand). Let me explain. For some reason, most people… Continue reading SWIM – proper terminology at last?

Performance Based Navigation (PBN) – Why the "N" should be an "O"

The abbreviations game In aviation we seem to be creating abbreviations at a rate that raises the specter of our grandchildren not having any usable combinations left any more. This remark from a well respected colleague of mine who used to work for UPS airlines does in fact indicate a few problems that go beyond… Continue reading Performance Based Navigation (PBN) – Why the "N" should be an "O"

KLM and Aeroflot take-off from taxi-ways

Strange as it may seem one of the more difficult things that pilots have to deal with is finding their way around airports. Despite ICAO standardisation many obvious things like airport signage are not always the same at every airport, and even if they were, airport layouts will always differ. Surprisingly, navigating the aircraft down… Continue reading KLM and Aeroflot take-off from taxi-ways