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Return to Article: FAA to award contract to upgrade air traffic system

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  Curious about something I've heard. Can anyone verify the scuttlebutt that the previous attempt to upgrade this system cost a cumulative total of $4 billion in contracts and resulted in no progress?

  Don Posted August 31, 2007 9:10 PM
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  The ADS-B system is a natural next step to modernizing the ATC. Radar is quite old and needs replacing. Sure it has been a proven technology, but with ADS-B, pilots and ATC have a better knowledge of exactly what is going on and they are both on the same page. For the most part, when it is installed IT is self supporting. The real money comes to the owners. As for this alone fixing delays and congestion at airports, that is another story. The only way to fix that problem is to completely overhaul the airports operating procedures pertaining to safety, security, and many other factors. It can be done. Right now airline operations is in its neo-infancy stage with all of the new measures and business structures implemented.

  Mike Posted August 31, 2007 12:35 AM
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  From what I've heard, the system works amazingly well. AOPA is in favor of it. I hate to see anyone lose their job but this system could save the FAA a lot of money in the future. Radar cost a lot more to purchase and maintain than ADS-B. Without radar the Agency probably won't need as many radar technicians and while no one is talking about it, the possibility exist that they won't need as many controllers either. Maybe those overworked controllers will finally get some time off that they are always complaining about. If you don't think that's possible, all I can say is...watch and learn. 20 to 25 years in the future maybe, but watch and learn.

  Of course this won't help delays until the airlines look at their ADS-B display, see 100 other air carriers all headed for the same airport at the same time. Then maybe it will finally occur to them what controllers have been trying to tell them for years...you cannot schedule all those flights for the same airport everyday at the same time.

  Oh I know...the airlines will just continue to blame the FAA and the Air Traffic system for all of their scheduling caused delays. Come on ADS-B, I'm rooting for you. Maybe we need to go back to the old system where the CAB approved/disapproved routes for the air carriers. Back in the good old days before deregulation that is. But of course we know the chance of that happening is about the same as trying to bring back the draft in the military. Well that's my 2 cents.

  Retired controller and pilot Posted August 30, 2007 8:59 PM
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  ADS-B works, just ask the people of Alaska as well as UPS. And its just the beginning of the overhaul of the ATC system. There is a multi-agency plan out there, and work is being done.

  Larry, from what I've read the FAA does not intend to fully shutdown all of their ATC radars once ADS-B is fully implemented. The back-up surveillance system for ADS-B has not been decided upon yet, and the legacy radar system is still an option. Air traffic demand is expected to rise 2-3x in the next 15-20 years. We would have to build dozens of new runways and airports and hire hundreds of new controllers to meet that demand, all costing billions of dollars in tax payer money. Better avionics, allowing more precise routes, with better weather mitigation, and increased automation of the system is the best way to meet the growth of the system. That way cost is divided among airlines, GA, the government, and private industry.

  Joe Posted August 30, 2007 2:41 PM
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  one billion dollars = $1,000,000,000.00 $1,000,000,000,000.00 = one trillion dollars.

  Never-the-less I'm tired of our nation's (and my) air safety being nickled and dimed to death. This sounds like just another step in that direction.

  bill Posted August 30, 2007 11:36 AM
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  What amazes me most is that the airlines have bought into this hook line and sinker as a fix all for delays. It does nothing to help delays. More runways and more controllers are needed to keep the system working with whatever equipment is available. Blakey has left behind nothing but a wake of destruction. She nows moves on to do the same with her new job.

  retired air traffic controller Posted August 29, 2007 4:34 PM
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  What this article doesn't mention is that eventually the FAA wants to shut off their ATC radars once ADS-B is fully implemented. In other words, aircraft not equipped with ADS-B (or aircraft hijackers who turn off ADS-B) will become "invisible" to air traffic controllers once the ATC radars are decomissioned. At that point, if the USA needs operating radars to watch the skies for hijackers, it'll be up to DoD, NORAD or Homeland Security to pay for and maintain it.

  Larry Posted August 29, 2007 12:39 PM
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  Funny how Ms. Blakey is pushing this so hard in the next few weeks. Seeing how she is leaving the sinking ship and going to shill for the companies vying for the $1,000,000,000,000.00 contract. Conflict of interest, most probably.

  Still working 10 hour days, 6 days a week, 2+ hours on position. Glad to see the great FAA hiring plan worked.

  Jonathan Clausen Posted August 29, 2007 7:39 AM