F L I G H T P L A N N I N G
European changes
Aaron Child is responsible for business aviation marketing
in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Collins Aerospace.
He agrees that amongst airspace modernization initiatives,
ADS-B out is of vital importance.
“The intent is to give ATC more capacity to handle more
traffic, decrease delays, and control costs. These are all
good things,” he says.
“European air traffic is increasing steadily every year and
over each of the last five years delays have also increased.
Eurocontrol statistics show that enroute ATC capacity is the
number one reason for delays.”
Similarly to US aircraft, an ADS-B upgrade for most
European aircraft, which should be equipped for Flight ID,
will involve a new transponder and GPS. Aircraft which
already have a flight management system with LPV localizer
performance with vertical guidance are unlikely to need to
upgrade their GPS, believes Childs.
“Most installations require only a minor amount of wiring.
There may be other associated equipment to upgrade
or install. We generally promote comprehensive upgrade
packages so that the operators can benefit from operational
benefits in addition to meeting the mandate,” he adds.
Collins’s ARINCDirect flight planning operations and
communications services already includes flight tracking
by FlightAware, which incorporates ADS-B and other data
points. Space-based ADS-B will be offered as an option in
the package, says Child: “Aircraft operators will gain from
real-time updates and improved decision making and hazard
avoidance in what is an increasingly complex, but bettermanaged
airspace system.”
60 | BU S INE S S A I R P O RT INT E RNAT I ONA L O C TO B E R 2 0 1 9
Despite the availability of upgrade paths, according
to the Single European Sky ATM Research deployment
manager, which oversees the introduction of new ATC
technology in Europe, as of July 2019 less than 50% of
aircraft had been equipped for ADS-B. The European
deadline for ADS-B is June 7, 2020. European
aircraft flying to the US will also be required to have
ADS-B equipment by January 2020. Childs says,
“The biggest issue is timing. You don’t want to be
caught in a rush or be delayed due to a backlog
for installation. It’s best to plan ahead and beat
the rush.
“Feedback from our dealer network
indicates that operators are requesting
quotations to make the upgrade, but not all are
taking action to sign for the install. Even though
installs are picking up in frequency, a backlog
appears to be forming.”
Perhaps the continuous upgrading of avionics
is what is causing operators to procrastinate over
delays, although in the case of ADS-B Out, the mandatory
nature of the upgrade and its benefits make avoiding it
entirely a tactic unlikely to be successful. ADS-B Out is
also just one of several space-based technologies on
the horizon for avionics which are intended to improve
communications and the flow of air traffic. “We can’t
guarantee operation forever, but the best path to futureproof
is to follow the recommendations of the aircraft
manufacturer and avionics manufacturer. This is the most
likely way to stay in the planned life cycle of the avionics
and OEM-approved installations,” says Childs.
“ADS-B is just the starting point,” says Kang. “This
technology is the gateway for all future airspace
developments and policies. Allowing airspace to be fuller
while becoming safer is a win-win.”
Can you opt out of ADS-B?
Despite the mandate for almost all
aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B Out
after January 1, 2020 in the USA, the
National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA) is still lobbying for operators to
have the option of opting out of having
their flights tracked in real time.
The NBAA is involved with several
of the FAA’s working groups on
ADS-B Out. Alongside other aviation
organizations, the NBAA is pushing
for a system where operators can
use an alternate transponder code
for aircraft. Operators would retain
their permanent transponder code
tied to an aircraft’s N-number, but
would also use the secondary code,
which would be managed by the FAA.
Importantly, this code would not be
published, ensuring use of the aircraft
is private and remains within the new
regulations. Operators would renew
the secondary code every 30 days
under the proposed scheme.
“Everyone agrees that a person
shouldn’t need to give up his or her
security when boarding an airplane,”
said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
“We remain committed to working
with the FAA and others to ensure that
operators are given an ability to opt
out from having their flights tracked
in real time, basically by anyone,
anywhere in the world, who happens
to have the appropriate equipment for
doing so, and whose intentions may
be unknown.”
According to the NBAA, the US
Government has repeatedly passed
legislation mandating that the FAA
provides a means to opt out of
real-time flight tracking
“With this
technology, we
can always have
someone watching
over aircraft wherever
they are”
David Kang, Avplan trip
support account manager
Above: ADS-B Out uses global
positioning satellites, which
constantly monitor the position
of aircraft
Left: Collins Aerospace’s Pro
Line 21 airspace modernization
package includes synthetic
vision on the primary flight
display and a transponder
update for ADS-B Out