Page 54 - AA 2018_11

GOING DIGITAL

Airservices he push is on to introduce digital increase the amount of information to maintain and require large capital
The technology can significantly
investment to replace.”
air traffic tower technology at
and Airways Tacross the Tasman. available to air traffic controllers and a quick initiated contingency service,
airports both in Australia and
Digital towers can also provide for
subsequently increases their traffic
are moving tower technology, which it calls DAS, awareness. replicating existing tower operations
Airservices Australia says digital
Aircraft information, including
at major locations.
ahead with for digital aerodrome services, can safety alerts, is delivered to controllers service resilience at our major
“We also need to provide greater
in a digital tower linked to flight data
provide an effective replacement
plans to or contingency backup to existing processing systems, while infrared airports,” Angus said.
“If an interruption to service were
conventional air traffic control towers
cameras can enhance visibility in
introduce while delivering cost savings. cloud or low visibility. Digital tower to occur, particularly at Sydney, this
The technology involves capturing
would cause major disruption to the
technology also integrates aircraft
digital tower imagery of an airport and surrounding into the air traffic management data entire air traffic management network.
network to improve flow management
It is also important that we have greater
airspace via video cameras, sometimes
services at up to 15 mounted on a mast. Imagery and collaborative decision-making. agility in being able to quickly, and
is compressed and sent by wide area
cost-effectively, introduce or increase
That technological promise is very
airports in network (WAN) and displayed on attractive to Airservices Australia, the service levels at some airports.”
screens at a centrally-based control
And digital towers also provide a
which is facing a major capital
Australia and room. investment program to replace ageing more efficient service at locations with
Typically, screens are positioned
low traffic density while delivering
control towers, such as Essendon
New Zealand in an arc to display a 360-degree built in 1956, and is exploring ways to service agility at airports where traffic
picture of an airport and surrounding minimise costs with a flow-on increase levels fluctuate.
airspace. A small number of pan- in airspace-user charges. “Alternatively, we need to be able to
tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras are also According to Stephen Angus, scale back services when traffic levels
used, enabling air traffic controllers Airservices executive general manager decline,” Angus noted.
WRITER: IAN THOMPSON to replicate the functionality of air navigation, some of the nation’s 29 That was an issue highlighted
binoculars. control towers are “very old, expensive by the construction of expensive air
54 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION