The FAA wants the state of Alaska to invest $34 million in order to receive $493 million in federal funding to start a five-year ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) implementation program there.

According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce, Hank Krawkowski, the chief operating officer of the agency's Air Traffic Organization, made the request in a letter to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin last month, in which he asks her to support a memorandum of agreement signed by Alaska's Capstone Statewide Agreement Implementation Committee last July to kickoff the equipage program.

The agreement states that the committee will be responsible for equipping 4,000 commercial and private aircraft with ADS-B equipment over the next five years.

The committee is made up of representative industry leaders from Peninsula Airways, Frontier Flying Service, the Alaska Air Carriers Association, the Alaska Airmen's Association, the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the Governor's Aviation Advisory Board.

Representatives from the committee are expected to approach legislators during the 2008 legislative session with a funding request for the $34 million. The group will also present a business plan on how the program would be managed.

Once funds are obtained, the program would require aircraft owners to invest $2,500 per aircraft for the equipment. The program would pay the difference for hardware installation and training.

Current estimates range from $14,000 to $18,500 per aircraft for installation and hardware.   01-14-2008.