Aireon uses the Iridium satellites so it should have global coverage.
Whether or how the data will be made available, I have no idea. Obviously they will charge for it.
DavidC wrote:
Will Aireon be able to reliably detect ALL GA aircraft that are equipped with 1090MHz ADS-B out?In areas of the UK/Europe with poor surface radar coverage, such as the Welsh/Scottish valleys, the Alps etc, will other agencies have access to this data feed in order to supplement conventional equipment? I did ask UK D&D at an exhibition recently, but apart from a general technology update throughout Swanwick next year, their representative didn’t really seem to know.
That is the idea. NATS is a shareholder in Aireon. How they implement it in the their existing systems who knows. I think initially the focus would be on using it for Shanwick oceanic.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f13/iridium-next-close-to-completion-199362.html
I have used the exiting Iridium constellation for some time and it is very good. In fact the streaming cost isnt to bad if you are highly selective, use compression and strip out all the annoying stuff which is entirely possible. Start streaming video and it is a fearsome price of course.
Interestingly the air time for Inmarsat is far more competitve. I wonder why Iridium seem to have the aviation market more sewn up when it comes to ADS-B?
Reading this article about space based ADS-B I struggle to see the benefits, apart from being able to track a plane when out over the oceans.
The article talks banally about opportunities but what are they? Eurocontrol will still bill IFR charges for the filed great circle route.
And in an MH370 scenario the transponder will just be turned off anyway…
Regarding MH370, long term I think there will be a way found to ensure a signal is sent that pilots can‘t turn off.
Benefits to whom? In Canada, this will eventually replace ground radar and provide radar-like coverage where it does not exist today. Transatlantic separation will be reduced (3mi rather that 5mi?), which will increase capacity substantially, a problem today. In Europe, not so much due to existing dense radar coverage.
This won‘t bring anything to low-level GA until or unless inexpensive diversity installations needed by Aireon are on the market. The first will likely be uavionix in 2021.
