Next Generation

            NextGen… just what exactly does this mean? I know it’s a great series of Star Trek but what does it mean for the aviation community? After much research and asking around I couldn’t get a clear definition from anyone. What I did get was a general understanding that the term NextGen is dynamic. It is more of a concept, in which the aviation industry gets a major overhaul in both technology and resources, especially with the air traffic control systems and polices.

            What most could agree on was that the center of the emerging technology was the ADS-B System or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast System. This system communicates with other ADS-B equipped aircraft and ATC giving near real time information for decision making. This system also includes weather and storm data. Implementation of this system alone would increase overall situational awareness and be a major leap forward in the NextGen process. However, all this would be expected no earlier than 2020.

            So just what does this system mean for us pilots, in the private, commercial and corporate? There would of course be positives and negatives from implementing a system like this but let’s take a look at just a few.

Positive: Increased situational awareness lowers the chance of accidents like runway incursions, midflight collisions, and gives the pilot readily accessible weather data for their decision making process.

Negative: Pilots may become overwhelmed by all this new information. Older aircraft that have not been updated or consciously not updated would still pose the same level of risk if not more now that current pilots are expecting all aircraft to be upgraded with the NextGen systems.

Positive: ATC will have greater control over all aircraft. This increases profit, not only by increasing flight operations but more efficient operations overall. Increased tracking/controlling allows for lower minimums and increased traffic flow. The technology could eventually be adapted to make the pilot’s job merely supervisory. (That is purely speculation on my part, but I honestly could see it happening. Whether it is boat, train or automobile, adding GPS has eventually lead to a version that can guide itself.)

Negative: This system would require vast sums of many and resources to implement. New planes and facilities could be built with the NextGen systems already installed but what of the older aircraft and facilities? It is speculated that privatization may be needed in order to update these older systems by the 2020 timeline. Even then, some may not be upgradable (Light sport aircraft, warbirds, ultralights, jet packs…etc)

Overall, the whole system will probably be funded by taxes and fees, but who should pay these fees and when? Since the major airlines and many larger aircraft already use ADS-B and ADS-B systems, it seems to me that general aviation would benefit most from the NextGen Technologies. Now hold on, don’t jump to conclusions. I can already hear people yelling at their computers that it is expensive enough to fly without any new fees. This is not what I had in mind. We can all agree that the NextGen systems would increase safety through situational awareness. So how do we get GA pilots to spend extra money on these upgrades? Incentives. GA has been and is usually restricted from travel in and out of the larger airports, mainly due to the constant flow of the major airliners and the overcrowding of airspace. Having the NextGen systems would make it significantly easier for GA to use these larger airports and have access to their amenities. If the ability to fly freely into any airport doesn’t hold value what about things like maintenance checks and inspection reminders? Car have systems in place that can remind their owners when an inspection is due, when there is something wrong with the aircraft and even report a crash to both the emergency services and search and rescue, so why not NextGen in addition to the data it already transmits. Admittedly there will be fees, mainly from those who do not wish to upgrade or who are merely not upgraded by the time ADS-B becomes mandatory, and those fees can be put into the ADS-B infrastructure. Since the infrastructure will need to be expanded as well, the major airlines can be the driving force behind the infrastructure while GA is the driving force behind upgrading current tech. Spreading the taxes make sure that no one group pays for it all.

             I hope to see the NextGen systems come to fruition in my career, especially if it means a marriage of military and civilian operations. Even if it is only greater use of military air assets in civilian airspace for things like search and rescue, disaster aid relief, or public relations, NextGen would allow many systems to act as one.

References:

What is NextGen?

http://www.natca.org/legislative_current_issues.aspx?zone=Legislative-Current%20Issues&pID=200