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INS AND OUTS OF ADS-B
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take several minutes to update and get broadcast . Think of those animated Doppler-radar sequences that glue us to the tube when waiting out weather; the individual images that make up those animations are each equivalent to the images delivered via FIS-B . There just aren’t any handsome, lovely, smiling weather people to tell us how badly we’re stuck .

What’s In it for Me?
The basic, free FIS-B service will transmit graphical and textual weather, as well as other aeronautical products. These include: • Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METARs). • Non-Routine Aviation Weather Reports (SPECIs). • Terminal Area Forecasts (TAFs) and their amendments. • NEXRAD (regional and CONUS) precipitation maps. • Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Distant and Flight Data Center. • Airmen’s Meteorological Conditions (AIRMET). • Significant Meteorological Conditions (SIGMET) and Convective SIGMET. • Status of Special Use Airspace (SUA). • Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). • Winds and Temperatures Aloft. • Pilot Reports (PIREPS). • TIS-B service status.

area augmentation system, the FAA has been developing new instrument approaches at an amazing rate, approaching 3,000 new localizer performance with vertical guidance approaches, better known as LPV . LPV approaches closely mimic the gold-standard ILS approach, with one huge difference: no groundbased ILS hardware . Instead, the GPS receiver itself generates its own localizer and glideslope paths based on the approach created and programmed into the navigator . LPV approaches can provide minima down to 200 feet and a half mile if the airport equips itself with appropriate lighting and marking; 300-foot ceilings and a half-mile require less ground infrastructure . And, for many of the other new WAAS GPS-based approaches, little to nothing at all is required aside from runway lights, end marker lights or such . These approaches improve on or replace nonprecision approaches based on everything from NDBs to VORs and DMEs – and, in many cases, improve on existing GPS non-precision approaches, if they can’t go full boat to an LPV approach . More and more, airports unable to qualify or afford an ILS can get ILS-like approaches to both runway ends for about 1/30th the ILS cost; that’s about 3 .3 percent of the ILS – and without the electric bills and maintenance costs of the ILS . Start Shopping Selections in ADS-B hardware are available that either meet the Out mandate alone or meets the Out mandate and provides the In connection, as well . One solution integrates its own WAAS GPS navigators . The key piece of approval required to meet the Out mandate is one of these two TSOs: TSO–166b for 1090ES and TSO 154c for 978 UAT . Looking, however, at the options available under the prior TSOs – 166a and 154b, both which were proposed final standards – should inform us of who we can expect to offer solutions based on the newest documents . Cost remains another unpredictable element and one dependent on what the aircraft needs and what the owner wants . For example, the existence of a TSO-approved WAAS GPS – such as Garmin’s GNS 430W and 530W, or its GTN 650 and GTN 750 – satisfy the WAAS GPS need . Other solutions exist and more are in the works; they will impact the total costs depending on their installed costs . q

GPS’ WAAS Advantage: More and Better Approaches Here’s the element that gets surprisingly little attention in the pro-con, wait-don’t-wait-wait-a-little conversation: the value of the WAAS GPS as a position-data solution . Sadly, the only thing rarer than an anyone-canafford-one airplane is a wide selection of panel-mounted, approved WAAS GPS navigators . Many exist as elements of integrated avionics systems compared to stand-alone panel units . No question – more are coming . If there’s a component of the ADS-B system with hands-down, no-question immediate use potential, it’s the WAAS GPS navigator . Here’s why: since throwing the switch on the wide-

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012