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I think the parent meant radio beacons on the ground. These give an angle or distance to a known location. ADSB does broadcast the planes location. But this
by 7952 8y ago
I think the parent meant radio beacons on the ground. These give an angle or distance to a known location.
ADSB does broadcast the planes location. But this is only used in a very limited fashion. ATC use radar as the main source of information.
- dsl 8y agoADSB is how planes see each other without relying on ATC, and feeds collision avoidance systems. The FAA instructs pilots to believe these systems over ATC because it updates faster than radar. In a very hypothetical worst case scenario, a malfunctioning ADSB transmitter could suddenly put itself right in the path of a large commercial aircraft, forcing it to make dangerous maneuvers to avoid a collision.
- sho 8y agoTCAS[1] doesn't rely on GPS though, it builds a picture of the airspace around it through triangulation and radar-style ranging - I believe it only relies on altitude to be reported by the other aircraft, which is generally very accurate. I suppose anything is possible, but I've never heard of it actually getting plane positions wrong due to sensor malfunctions. Far more likely is pilots not following, or improperly following, its warnings. It's not capable of assuming control over the plane, as far as I know... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision_avoidance_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision_avoidance_sy...
- yread 8y agoLots of smaller airports use only secondary radar - adsb