Incentives to install avionics considered to ensure success of surveillance programme
Airservices Australia plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) this month for the design, manufacture and installation of up to 1,500 automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) shipsets for the country’s general aviation fleet.
The RFP, which will close six weeks after release, is part of the air traffic service provider’s long-term plan to use ADS-B as the primary means of ground-to-air and air-to-air surveillance in Australian en-route airspace.
ADS-B ground stations are currently being installed throughout the country as part of an upper airspace programme, above 30,000ft, which is due to take effect next year.
The GA avionics RFP is part of the planned lower airspace programme, which will require the country’s GA fleet to be ADS-B-equipped to be successful. The service provider is looking at the possibility of a subsidy to operators to encourage them to fit ADS-B avionics.
In July, Airservices conducted flight demonstrations on a Beech Baron of a new GA cockpit traffic display manufactured by German manufacturer Eurotelematik. The service provider purchased a panel-mounted display, as well as a handeld PDA version. The aircraft flew in the Melbourne area with an ADS-B-equipped Beech Bonanza.
They received ADS-B transmissions from each other, with the display providing the pilots with details of the identity, relative position, altitude and velocity out to 75km (40nm).
A number of ADS-B-equipped airliners operating in the area were also detected during the flight trial.
The service provider plans to conduct further test flights.
EMMA KELLY/PERTH
Source: Flight International
