Page 19 - AAA JUNE - JULY 2017 Online Magazine

FeAture ATC

foreign registered aircraft.
The first category enables an Australian
registered aircraft in certain classes of
Australian airspace, not equipped with
ADS-B, to fly IFR for private operations. The
second category enables IFR aircraft with
SSR transponder to fly in Australian airspace,
including oceanic control areas, provided
it flies under 29,000 feet in continental
airspace (unless an otherwise clearance is
received from ATC). These authorizations are
in place only until 2020. Australia precedes
several other countries that will enforce
this equipage mandate by or before 2020.
The immediacy in its implementation was
strongly guided by the fact that for a radar
network to match the expanse of ADS-B
would be an extremely expensive move.
Although the cost factor involved in the
setup of ADS-B is a controversial discussion,
it is surely a technology worth having
and the cornerstone of many air traffic
modernization plans around the globe.

when the SSR is in use because only the within 20 nautical miles of the ground
controller has a visibility of the occurrences station but the coverage at high level can
in the airspace. exceed 250 nautical miles. Along with the oPPosite LeFt: ADS-B ground
stations, have been deployed
An approximate 11 per cent of the Earth’s final fitment mandate CASA also granted across Australia providing almost
surface falls under Australia’s airspace two temporary authorization instruments nationwide air traffic surveillance
management but very little area of this to enable a limited number of non-equipped capability at flight levels above
allotment has been under the radar coverage. IFR aircraft to fly without ADS-B under FL300
The rest have been uncontrolled airspace, specific conditions until 2020 - instrument bottom: This image shows the
where pilots follow slightly different for domestic aircrafts and instrument for ADS-B coverage of Australian
procedures like constant position reporting,
ETA updates, etc. and even the ATC ensures
extra buffers like higher separations etc.
Meanwhile, the ADS-B ground stations have
been installed at remote locations in
Australia and the data received by the
ADS-B ground stations is transmitted back
to the ATC centers, enabling radar-like ATC
services in areas where a radar site would
be unfeasible, such as mountainous terrain.
Having a better information about an
airplane’s last position improves the ability
to perform search and rescue operation.
The ADS-B ground stations, which
are line-of-sight facilities, have been
deployed across Australia providing an
almost nationwide air traffic surveillance
capability at flight levels above FL300. The
ADS-B data received depends on altitude,
distance from the site and obstructing
terrain. Coverage exists near the surface
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