Automatic Dependent Surveillance-broadcast - Benefits of ADS-B For General Aviation

Benefits of ADS-B For General Aviation

Improved situational awareness

Pilots in an ADS-B equipped cockpit will have the ability to see, on their in-cockpit flight display, other traffic operating in the airspace as well as access to clear and detailed weather information. They will also be able to receive pertinent updates ranging from temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) to runway closings.

Improved visibility

Even aircraft only equipped with ADS-B out will be benefited by air traffic controllers ability to more accurately and reliably monitor their position. Other fully equipped aircraft using the airspace around them will be able to more easily identify and avoid conflict with an aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out.

ADS-B provides better surveillance in fringe areas of radar coverage. ADS-B does not have the siting limitations of radar. Its accuracy is consistent throughout the range.

Reduced environmental impact

ADS-B technology provides a more accurate report of an aircraft's position. This allows controllers to guide aircraft into and out of crowded airspace with smaller separation standards than it was previously possible to do safely. This reduces the amount of time aircraft must spend waiting for clearances, being vectored for spacing and holding. Estimates show that this is already having a beneficial impact by reducing pollution and fuel consumption. ADS-B is intended to increase safety and efficiency. Safety benefits include:

• Improved visual acquisition especially for general aviation under visual flight rules (VFR).
• Reduced runway incursions on the ground.

ADS-B enables increased capacity and efficiency by supporting:

• Enhanced visual approaches;
• Closely spaced parallel approaches;
• Reduced spacing on final approach;
• Reduced aircraft separations;
• Enhanced operations in high altitude airspace for the incremental evolution of the "free flight" concept;
• Surface operations in lower visibility conditions;
• Near visual meteorological conditions (VMC) capacities throughout the airspace in most weather conditions;
• Improved air traffic control services in non-radar airspace;
• Trajectory-based operations providing a gently ascending and descending gradient with no step-downs or holding patterns needed. This will produce optimal trajectories with each aircraft becoming one node within a system wide information management network connecting all equipped parties in the air and on the ground. With all parties equipped with NextGen equipage, benefits will include reduced gate-to-gate travel times, increased runway utilization capacity, and increased efficiency with carbon conservation.