ADS-B Out (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is required for flights after January 1, 2020, in airspace where a transponder is required today.
However ADS-B In services, such as Flight Information Services-Broadcast (FIS-B) and traffic information, while not required by the FAA, have become popular with pilots/flight crews because they provide in-flight weather and hazardous condition advisories in almost real time. This adds another layer of safety and redundancy to flight management.
FIS-B information is disseminated by the FAA’s ADS-B ground station network The designated operator of the ADS-B network is the Harris Corporation, and they recently took the opportunity to add six new FIS-B weather services to help pilots. We list them here so pilots/flight crews can be aware of services available.
Center Weather Advisory (CWA): Warnings about conditions that meet or are close to airmet, sigmet, or convective sigmet criteria including: icing; turbulence; heavy or freezing precipitation; conditions at or approaching low IFR; winds or gusts >30 knots; low-level wind shear plus volcanic ash, dust storms, or sandstorms. Every 10 minutes.
Cloud tops: Forecasts of the altitude of cloud tops based on the National Weather Service’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model. The HRRR is run every hour. Continental US only. Every 15 minutes.
Graphical AIRMET: Graphical imagery of hazardous weather conditions based on data from the Aviation Weather Center will transit every 6 hours stating at 0245 UTC and updated as needed. These are less severe than sigmets. Available in the lower 48 states and adjacent coastal waters. Every five minutes.
Icing, Forecast Potential: Forecasts icing probability, severity, and anticipated supercooled large droplets at 12 altitude levels – every 2000 feet msl. Based on NWS Forecast Icing Potential model – only in the continental US. Every 15 minutes.
Lightning Strikes: Recent cloud-to-ground lightning strikes based on Vaisala data. Only for the continental US. Every five minutes.
Turbulence: Forecasted maximum intensity of turbulence at 12 altitude levels every 2000 ft (same as icing forecasts). Based on NWS Graphical Turbulence Guidance model – only in the continental US. Every 15 minutes.
Like existing FIS-B products, all of the new products are considered by the FAA to be advisory only.
How DTi Can Help
We can help during the install of ADS-B which is when you’ll often expose rarely opened compartments. A perfect opportunity to inspect/replace/install grommets to protect the EWIS and avoid equipment discrepancies – which are often traced to chafed wiring rather than equipment issues.
DTi’s Spring-Fast® best-in-class grommets install for 50% of the cost of the old slow legacy nylon grommets with glue. They install in 1/10 of the time with finger pressure. Minimal inspection. No fixturing. No curing.
This best-in-class EWIS protection helps eliminate chafe-induced arc, spark, and combustion.
Buy Spring-Fast at our distributor EDMO.
Source: AOPA
