Have you ever had a mid-air close call in what seemed like wide-open skies? Even the most seasoned pilots have occasionally been surprised by unseen aircraft.
In a new video from the FAA posted on YouTube, several pilots talk about the advantages of having ADS-B in their airplanes, noting that having a near-miss turned them into ADS-B believers.
ADS-B does not allow one to see jumpers or any aircraft that does not have an electrical system and that does not have a way to do ADS-B OUT or some kind of transponder that may be reflected through ADS-B IN.
Therefore, even with ADS-B IN and associated displays, it is possible for one to collide with a jumper. I know of a grass strip that was built for jumpers. And the release area is over an intersection of two airways. The rapid taped announcement message was worthless because if you were not on the freq of the broadcast, how would you know? There are three airports around that intersection that have jet traffic, which of those if any would you be monitoring, or would one be using Flight Following?
One of the airports has glider operations. How will you see this glider on your ADS-B IN appliance (GPS traffic display, smart tablet, etc.)? You won’t, you will have to be looking outside and above you.
Mountainous areas are good places to come across gliders. One need to be especially vigilant in those areas.
We have had ADS-B in/out for four years in two different aircraft. When I would share the experience with others on aviation sites I would recieve every level of ridicule and push-back from the slightly skeptical to hostile indignation.
Why? Well it seems there is resentment out there…the government ‘forcing’ a costly upgrade. The ‘your head is supposed to be on a swivel looking outside’ etc.
Well, one does not negate the other. Your head needs to be outside AND inside…and the brutal truth is you will miss MOST of the aircraft out there but not if you have ADS-B. In fact, TIS-B and ADS-B are both great technologies and both provide a REAL picture of the sky. ADS-B not only tells you were the bogeys are (tail number, distance and altitude relative to your altitude) but color codes them too.
The real answer is ADS-B will show you a guy flying at you at your altitude BEFORE ATC warns you and before you can see them yourself. And there is never anything wrong with that…