1. Airport Traffic Counting The Problems & Solutions
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2. Agenda A Solution looking for a Problem A Problem Solved
Methods Over Last 20 Years
Analysis
What’s Changed
Combined Services – Why Important
Funding Eligibility
Conclusion: Contributing to the Future
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3. A Solution Looking for a Problem??
Automated Traffic Count
Don’t need it
Not mandated by FAA or State
Difficult eligibility for funding
Calculated vs. Quantifiable Conclusion:
Short term count, adjusted for seasonality and multiplied for annual traffic volume
Close enough for government work
We’re done!
Why Bother – accuracy is 30 to 80%
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4. Legitimate Problems At GA Airports
No accurate or automated way to measure all air traffic by type for reporting & funding eligibility
No visual display of Control Area traffic
No way to convey local information to pilots
Weather conditions
Fuel availability
Mechanic availability
Courtesy vehicles
Catering services
Local restaurants & attractions
No method to attract more airport traffic to drive incremental revenue
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5. Count Systems Over 20 Years
Manual Count
Personnel sit on tarmac counting landings & takeoffs
Register fuel sales
Add guest log register for missed personal counts
Extrapolate data into annual activity
Accuracy 50% at best
Acoustic – 3 versions over the years
“hear” takeoffs only, manual compilation of data
Subject to human interpretation - accuracy 30 to 80%; $4,000 to $7,000 per unit
Acoustic with Video
Sound level meter (more accurate) but still manual compilation
Video capture of aircraft image – hit and miss
Accuracy 50% to 85%
Video Image Detection
Take-off & landing images
Misses low pass & overflights
Manual compilation of data from images
Accuracy approaching 90%; $20,000+
Hit & Miss at Best
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6. Count Systems Over 20 Years
Camera & Sensor System
Sensors detects activity, triggers camera, image taken
Data is computed by a service independent of airport – not real or near-real time
Low pass and overflights not recorded
Accuracy average 80%
$75,000 to $150,000
Transponder – TCAS Detection
Transponder broadcast detected by TCAS
Knows position, speed & altitude, therefore automatic registration of aircraft activity
Unicom broadcast of pilot intent captured by ASR
aircraft verified by FAA and other databases
System automatically records date, time, make, model, activity & runway use
Low pass and overflights are recorded
Accuracy average 93% to 99.5% - all transponder conditions
$43,000 to $54,665
Light at the End of the Tunnel
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7. Analysis: Less Than Stellar
Manual nature of system data compilation leads to high degree of errors
Accuracy is disappointing leading to varied acceptance of data
Data gathering is not on an annual basis – computed from sampling data over short period of time
Traffic count systems are not FAA AIP fund eligible per guidebook (yet)
Mostly due to unreliable and inaccurate systems
All but one system are not:
Automated in report generation
Record make, model, tail number
Record overflights
Adaptable to technology advances (ADS-B)
Provide other services contributing to NEXTGEN
Less Than Stellar
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8. Today’s Solutions Work & Provide Value
WHAT CHANGED??
FAA & States want quantifiable evidence of traffic by:
Date & time
Make & model
Precise activity – landing, takeoff, low pass, overflight
Runway(s) used by activity
Safety elements for aircraft is important
Need to provide tower-like services
Need for GA airports to align with NEXTGEN technologies
Need for GA airports to automatically promote their services
Airports want automation with Internet access to system
System has to be completely automated & unattended
Today’s Solutions Work & Provide Value
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9. COMBINED SERVICES – WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
THINK SELFISH: Airport should think in terms of technologies that enhance & promote the facility in an automated fashion
Technology advances mandated and proposed by FAA promote multi-functional systems:
Radar like displays showing aircraft in control area – visual assurance
Weather advisories
Conflict broadcasts
Reminder broadcast to terminate IRF plan
ADS-B compatibility
Accurate, automated counts to support funded expansion requests
Information recall for accident investigation
Integrated system avoids duplicity and costs, maintained by one company
Provides “Tower-Like” Services at Non-Tower Airports
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10. FUNDING ELIGIBILITY
FAA does not consider “count systems” eligible (today) unless:
Part of Master Plan Study
Part of Project upgrade under AIP guidelines
Partially manned tower substitute for personnel costs
NTSB & FAA accident information recall system
Aircraft positions & UNICOM pilot transmissions recorded
FAA considering adding a combined services system that has elements of NEXTGEN functionality
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11. CONCLUSION: CONTRIBUTING TO THE FUTURE
Technology & service are KINGS; economic impact
Provides another means of communicating airports services
More services promotes more activity
More activity promotes more revenue opportunities
A system working in concert to promote other area businesses
Technology upgrade compatibility
Adaptable to changing regulations and future aircraft transponders (ADS-B)
does not become obsolete
Shared cost - Grant funding from FAA and/or States
Win-win for everyone:
An integrated system for traffic count, display of area aircraft, weather advisory & facility services, all maintained by one company
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