Statewide Rollout of New Technology Expected by 2009
The state of
Pennsylvania has announced steps to make air travel safer and more
efficient by adopting a recommendation from the Governor's Aviation
Advisory Committee to begin using new technology at its airports.
PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E., said the commonwealth
will begin using advanced technologies for general aviation pilots,
called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems,
by the end of this year.
Working with the Federal Aviation Administration, PennDOT is
using the systems at Allentown's Queen City Airport,
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Lancaster Airport and
University Park Airport in State College.
Biehler said the ground stations at the four airports will
provide coverage for most of the eastern portion of the state.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast coverage across the
entire state is planned within four years.
The FAA developed the
system, which was tested in Alaska and first implemented along the
East Coast between Florida and New Jersey. "Bringing such an
advanced technology to Pennsylvania will better protect the people
who fly airplanes and those who ride in them. It will also give air
traffic controllers a good tool to guide planes in and out of
airports," Biehler said.
"This new system represents the 21st Century way that pilots
will see and react to each other and their environment while
flying."
Pennsylvania has nearly 137 airports serving 18,000 pilots. A
recent study completed by PennDOT's Bureau of Aviation shows that,
on an annual basis, aviation-related activities contribute more
than $12.6 billion to the state's economy.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system includes
several, state-of-the-art technologies, including Global
Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation system data links, weather
radar and multifunction cockpit displays. It expands far beyond the
radar systems now in use and represents the future direction the
FAA has chosen for monitoring aircraft.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast information available
to pilots includes:
- Traffic information, both in the air and on the ground, at
airports. This will include location, aircraft identification,
altitude, airspeed and direction.
- Updated weather, including forecasts and radar imaging of
storms. Lack of real-time weather information is cited as a
contributing factor in a significant portion of aviation
accidents.
- Terrain and other obstacles, including buildings, mountains and
other hazards to aircraft.
- Airspace status, such as temporary flight restrictions and
special use airspace.
"With the installation
of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transceiver in an
airplane, pilots are now saying, their 'cockpit of tomorrow is here
today,'" Biehler said.
The Bureau of Aviation will be working with the FAA, commercial
airlines, general aviation operators, emergency health care
providers, the State Police, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
Agency and the Office of Homeland Security to fully develop the
potential of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
system.
Biehler said the state and the FAA will split the costs to
construct the four Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
stations. Money to underwrite the new technology is coming from the
FAA ($300,000), a grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security
through PEMA ($250,000), and the state's Aviation Fund
($50,000).