Collision Aviodance Essays - Avionics, Air Traffic Control

Collision Aviodance Collision Avoidance: ADS-B or TCAS March 7, 2000 INTRODUCTION Background Collision avoidance is something that has been a problem in aviation for a long time. Most of the flights conducted today rely on the see and avoid concept and ground radar. Both of which have their flaws. The FAA predicts that mid-air collisions will increase by 300% over the next 20 years due to the increase in flights being flown by all areas of the aviation community (Kraus xiv). Civil aircraft have had onboard protection from midair collisions only since 1990 and general aviation aircraft are not required to have any collision avoidance technology onboard(www.cassd.org 1). In order to effectively manage the national airspace system in the future we will need to implement Free Flight. Free Flight is a concept designed to enhance safety and efficiency of the airspace by allowing aircraft to choose their own route instead of using victor airways (www.ads-b.com 1). Along with this freedom there is still the problem of aircraft separation which when on an instrument flight plan is air traffic control's (ATC) responsibility. In free flight there may be areas where ATC cannot give the required collision avoidance necessary. In order to safely manage the safety zone around an aircraft, pilots will need to rely on systems installed in the aircraft for better separation. Purpose The purpose of this report is to identify whether Automatic Dependence Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) or Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II) should be placed in all aircraft if the FAA decides that there is a need for some collision avoidance technology to be required for all aircraft. TCAS is currently required on all commercial passenger aircraft over 30 seats and ADS-B is currently being tested. Scope In this report, I will discuss: ? Automatic Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) ? ADS-B's Advantages and Disadvantages ? Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) ? TCAS's Advantages and Disadvantages ? Summarize which system is better for collision avoidance Body ADS-B ADS-B is a collision avoidance tool that allows aircraft to transmit position, speed, heading and identification via a data link to either other aircraft in the air or on the ground and/or controllers on the ground. ADS-B can also be used with equipped vehicles on the surface movement area. An ADS-B emitter will periodically broadcast the required information obtained from the onboard navigation systems. Other equipped aircraft will be able to receive this information and view it on the Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI). The CDTI is a display that shows traffic in relation to your heading. It is a multifunctional display that can incorporate weather and navigation information. Other aircraft that are receiving the broadcast will be able to avoid a collision and maintain separation much easier than the methods used today. This will lead to safer and more efficient aircraft operations. ADS-B will be able to provide controllers on the ground with valuable information that they might not be able to see on modern secondary radar. If all aircraft were equipped, separation coverage would be granted everywhere not just in certain areas. ADS-B will also provide accurate position and identification information of aircraft and equipment on the airport surface area. This will enhance the pilot's and controller's job of avoiding aircraft and vehicles on the ground during times of bad weather. The FAA has conducted Ground-to-Ground, Air-to-Ground, and Air-to-Air tests on ADS-B. So far these tests have been very successful in all areas (www.faa.gov). Advantages and Disadvantages of ADS-B ADS-B offers many advantages for air-to air and ground-to-air surveillance. First it greatly enhances situational awareness while in flight. The ability to see other aircraft on the CDTI is extremely helpful in adverse weather. Another advantage of ADS-B is its ability to let controllers see aircraft movement out of their surveillance coverage. It also offers reduced communication congestion because controllers do not have to advise of aircraft in the vicinity. On the ground, ADS-B provides some of the same benefits as it does in the air such as reduced communications, situational awareness, and it also provides for reduced taxi and takeoff delays (www.faa.gov 2). ADS-B will increase operational capacity and efficiency by providing more accurate information for the terminal areas. A main disadvantage of the system is that in order for it to work properly, in