The Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD), which manages the Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK), announced the successful deployment of its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. The system was designed and implemented through a private-public partnership with L3Harris Technologies and will immediately begin providing highly accurate, real-time surveillance data for aircraft in the Truckee Tahoe region.
ADS-B is a surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation, and is a key component of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The FAA’s ADS-B network was fully deployed in 2014, but while the federal agency supported installation for larger commercial airports, general aviation airports like KTRK were not included in the program. The Truckee Tahoe Airport is the first airport in the country to independently acquire its own ADS-B technology.
The airport sought out the ADS-B system as part of its efforts to lessen aviation’s impact on its community. “With ADS-B, the airport can maintain a higher level of control of where airplanes fly,” said Kevin Smith, general manager of the Truckee Tahoe Airport District. “This in turn enhances safety for pilots and local residents, as well as reduces greenhouse gasses. As a direct result of this partnership with L3Harris, we will be able to improve the quality of life in the Truckee Tahoe region.”
L3Harris is the only company currently certified to provide ADS-B air traffic data to the Federal Aviation Administration. Together with the Truckee Tahoe Airport District, the company has installed two ADS-B stations in the region — one at KTRK and one in South Lake Tahoe at KTVL — to feed information directly into the automated FAA system.
“Our collaboration with the Truckee Tahoe Airport District on NextGen ADS-B technology will deliver significant safety, efficiency and environmental benefits to their airport users and the surrounding community,” said Jay Kreider, general manager, surveillance and automation solutions at L3Harris. “We look forward to the opportunity to bring this public-private ADS-B deployment model to other general aviation airports looking to incorporate the multiple benefits of ADS-B into their operations.”
The groundbreaking program took more than three years to complete. In addition to establishing the public-private partnership with L3Harris, the airport also relied on congressional assistance at the federal level to connect into the FAA ADS-B program. “The road to a successful installation was complex and required the cooperation of multiple business lines within the FAA. I’m very proud of this innovative work to enhance safety and reduce environmental impact – a clear win that required the support of elected and appointed officials at the state and federal level,” said Hardy Bullock, director of aviation and community Services.
“I am pleased to see Truckee Tahoe Airport’s success in navigating the complex FAA process to bring an innovative, safety-enhancing system to our region,” said Congressman Tom McClintock, of California’s 4th district. “TTAD has worked tirelessly to ensure the airport and community have the tools they need to adapt to higher rates of air traffic, and I am glad to have assisted in this meaningful effort.”
The mountainous terrain of the Truckee Tahoe region prohibits the FAA’s ground-based radar system from guiding aircraft through the valley. The new ADS-B satellite based–system of air traffic management offers a more precise identification of aircraft position and also increases communications between nearby pilots. These technological enhancements improve safety for pilots and the communities they fly over.
Pilots in the Truckee Tahoe region are now able to access the national ADS-B system when flying in the region.
