Embry-Riddle Becomes First in General Aviation to Use Revolutionary
ADS-B System

The university's acquisition of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology from UPS Aviation Technologies promises to be the start of a revolution in the way general aviation aircraft are controlled in flight.

By giving pilots of small aircraft unprecedented awareness of their surroundings, the system decreases hazards associated with traffic, weather, and terrain -- the three greatest threats to general aviation aircraft.

The technology, embodied in MX20 multi-function displays and DL90 universal access transceivers from UPS Aviation Technologies, will be installed in more than 100 of Embry-Riddle's training aircraft later this year at its campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla.

ADS-B relies on the satellite-based global positioning system, or GPS, to determine an aircraft's precise location in space. The position is then converted into a digital code, which is combined with other information such as the type of aircraft, its speed, its flight number, and whether it is turning, climbing or descending. This information is updated every second and broadcast from the aircraft on a discreet frequency.

Other aircraft and ground stations within 150 miles receive the broadcasts. Pilots in the air see traffic on a cockpit display, while controllers on the ground see the ADS-B targets on their regular traffic display screen along with other radar targets.

Unlike conventional radar, ADS-B works at low altitudes and on the ground so that it can be used to monitor traffic on airport runways. It is effective in remote or mountainous areas where radar coverage is limited or nonexistent. One of its greatest benefits is that it gives the same information to pilots in aircraft cockpits and to ground controllers, allowing them both to "see" the same data.

The cockpit-based avionics also can receive uplinks of weather and air traffic radar data from ground stations with universal access transceivers (UAT). These uplinks will later include information about temporary flight restrictions and special-use airspace status.

As part of its Safe Flight 21 Program, the Federal Aviation Administration plans to construct UAT-equipped ground stations in Arizona and Florida early next year to support Embry-Riddle's aircraft and permit the university to track its fleets. The ground stations will supply weather and traffic information not only to planes flown by Embry-Riddle students, but to any aircraft equipped with the ADS-B avionics.

"This equipment, with its phenomenal capability, is finally affordable for the general aviation pilot," says Sean Jeralds, who chairs Embry-Riddle's flight training program at Prescott. "Successful implementation in Arizona and Florida could convince the FAA to complete the installation of ground stations throughout the country."

The installation of ground stations could jump-start a change in the way general aviation flies if other pilots in the area begin to take advantage of the same information.

"We are extremely excited about working with Embry-Riddle," says John Macnab, general manager of UPS Aviation Technologies. "We believe our ADS-B avionics will be a great benefit to their flight school operations and is a significant step towards making the benefits of ADS-B and UAT data link available to general aviation."

The FAA recently issued a solicitation for new UAT ground stations for Alaska, with an option to buy enough units for the entire United States.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 25,000 students annually through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 150 teaching centers in the United States and Europe and through distance learning.

UPS Aviation Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of UPS (NYSE:UPS) and is closely aligned with UPS Airlines, the ninth largest airline in North America. UPS Aviation Technologies is a world leader in the development of ADS-B technology, a critical component of free-flight air traffic management systems, and a leading developer of advanced displays and avionics for general aviation and transport category aircraft. UPS Aviation Technologies received the Frost and Sullivan 2003 Aerospace Technology of the Year Award for its work on ADS-B. The company can be found online at www.upsat.com.