shortimer wrote:
While meeting the request for release of all TIS-B to aircraft equipped with an ADS-B receiver sounds helpful to those who have the receiver, I see no benefit to those equipped with ADS-B Out transmitters. Maybe there is the expectation at all aircraft which have Mode C transponders will show on ADS-B receivers, but no aircraft outside of radar coverage will show on receiver equipped aircraft. In addition, where I fly, there are ground rebroadcast stations but no radar. None of those aircraft will be displayed unless they have ADS-B out units. It seems the author did not fully understand ADS-B out when he put his request together.
Taking your points in reverse order: I readily concede that I don't fully understand ADS-B Out.
You are correct that no aircraft outside of RADAR coverage will show up on TIS-B. No loss there. For the most part, that situation is no worse than things are now. No RADAR (or no xpndr) and aircraft are invisible.
If, as in the case of where you fly, there is no RADAR but a tower nearby, and you are ADS-B Out, then if I am in your puck (where you are a threat to me), I might see you. (I might not if you're the only one in the area - per your last point, I don't know if the FAA filters out your ownship in its broadcast to you. Okay, so maybe I lose one. But if two ADS-B Out aircraft are close by me, then I'm fairly sure I'll see both.) But the no RADAR but ADS-B tower is an outlier case at low use airports or low use airspace. Even if it weren't, I would rather have TIS-B and know about some aircraft than know about none.
And, as to your first point, although it is correct that I made the FOIA request for the majority of us who are not ADS-B Out, I don't know that granting the request would not benefit you eventually. Per my Request (under More Mitigation), the FAA might find that it is better to broadcast a few large packets to all than one hundred tiny customized packets to individual clients. If so, then that would provide lower latency for you too.