June, 2006

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Tracking system to better pinpoint planes' locations
ENHANCING SAFETY, ADDING CAPACITY
The government is endorsing a new concept for the future of guiding planes that will eventually replace radar in tracking jets over the USA. Federal Aviation Administration boss Marion Blakey said Tuesday that the new system will improve safety and save billions of dollars for the government and airlines by streamlining how aircraft operate. Known as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast), the system works by providing vastly improved information about where a plane is located and where it is heading. It also allows aircraft to receive far more detailed reports from the ground on weather and the location of other planes. Blakey said the technology is "the future of air traffic control." The FAA's Vincent Capezzuto, who manages the system, said it will revolutionize flying in the same way that the Internet changed computing. Ever since the 1950s, controllers have guided aircraft using radars, which sweep the skies with radio beams that track metal objects. But because radar is imprecise, controllers must keep planes miles apart to ensure they do not collide. Only controllers on the ground have access to radar, so pilots don't always know the location of other planes. Under ADS-B, planes use global positioning satellites to determine their exact position and then broadcast once a second where they are. Ground stations costing a small fraction of a radar can receive the radio blips and tell controllers the locations of planes. The same information can easily be transmitted to all the aircraft in the sky so pilots can follow other planes. The FAA has been testing ADS-B for years, but Tuesday's announcement was the first time the agency has said it intends to make it the backbone of the air traffic system. ADS-B has allowed air traffic controllers in Alaska to follow planes that were hundreds of miles from the nearest radar. Australia is installing it to track aircraft over stretches of the country's uninhabited interior. Blakey said the agency intends to place the system in a few spots around the country by 2010. That initial phase will cost the FAA and airlines $600 million but will save them $1.3 billion, she said. The new system will cover all areas currently served by radar by 2014. Cargo hauler UPS has equipped 107 of its jets with ADS-B and uses it to speed flights into and out of its Louisville hub, Director of Operations Karen Lee said. A recent experiment showed the airline could save $2 million a year in fuel simply by using the system to take more efficient routes to land in Louisville. ADS-B has been endorsed by airlines and pilot groups, but numerous details need to be worked out. Airlines, for example, have been cautious about the high price tag they must pay. In addition, the FAA is still working out an adequate backup system for ADS-B.

General class question pool undergoing review
The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) is now reviewing the General class (Element 3) Amateur Radio examination question pool. A revised Element 3 question pool is scheduled for release in December 2006 and will become effective for all examinations given on or after July 1, 2007. The current General class question pool remains valid until then. The NCVEC Question Pool Committee (QPC) welcomes comments and suggestions for new questions or changes to topic areas for any of the Amateur Radio examination question pools. When submitting new question material or suggesting changes to existing questions, indicate the sub-element reference number and topic and the existing question number, if any, with your submission. Indicate in the subject line of your message which pool you are addressing. All current Amateur Radio examination question pools are available on the ARRL Web site.

SuitSat spotted!
More than three months after it was launched from the International Space Station, and SuitSat -- an old Cosmonaut space suit converted into an amateur radio transmitter -- has been spotted orbiting the earth by Canadian skywatcher Kevin Fetter. A video he took of SuitSat crossing the sky can be downloaded here. http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/swpod2006/27Apr06/fetter.wmv

June, 2006

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