Alaska's Governor Signs Low-Interest Loan Bill for ADS-B

Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin has signed legislation that offers low-interest loans to Alaskan aircraft owners who install ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) technology in their aircraft.

According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce, the bill, which Ms. Palin sponsored, authorizes Alaska's Department of Community, Commerce and Economic Development to make $4.8 million available for these installations.

Statewide aviation officials, working in the Capstone Statewide Agreement Implementation Committee, signed a memorandum of agreement with the FAA last year to obtain $34 million and equip 95 percent of the most frequently flown aircraft. If this is accomplished, the FAA has said that it will invest $493 million in services and infrastructure improvements across the state.

Industry officials tried lobbying legislators for additional funding, but failed in the effort, which forced the idea of offering a 4 percent loan to commercial aviation operators, according to industry officials.

"This legislation is a crucial step to improving aviation safety," the governor said in a press release. "Studies have shown very significant improvements in aviation safety in the areas around Bethel and Southeast where the FAA has built ground stations and planes have been outfitted with the new equipment. We are hoping for similar results over a much larger area of Alaska."

Capstone ADS-B uses UAT (universal access transceiver) digital datalink to send and receive information, such as GPS position, between equipped aircraft and GBTs (ground-based transceivers), as well as other surrounding aircraft.  It also enables TIS-B (traffic information service-broadcast) ground-to-air messages of weather and other operational information. During the transition from radar surveillance, ADS-B-equipped aircraft will be able to display both ADS-B targets and Mode-C transponder targets.

Alaska has the highest number of pilots per capita of any state - about one in 78 Alaskans is a pilot. Alaska also has the highest aviation accident rates in the nation, three to four times higher than the national average for commercial aviation.  04-19-2008.

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