Washington DC
EVERY year there are about 25 mid-air collisions in the US鈥攎ost of them
involving small private planes. Now American airspace could become a little
safer, thanks to a device developed by an electrical engineering professor in
Michigan.
Jeffrey Burl, of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, is working on
a cheap device that will warn pilots when other aircraft are perilously close.
Large passenger planes in the US are already equipped with a system that warns
pilots when other aircraft are too close for comfort. But at $100 000, it
is too expensive for a small aircraft, which may only cost $35 000.
Burl鈥檚 alternative device would cost about $3000. 鈥淧eople are willing to
spend money on safety, but it has to be a reasonable amount,鈥� he says.
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Burl鈥檚 device relies on observations of air traffic made by ground radars
near airports. Those observations are now used by ground controllers, but later
this year the FAA plans to start broadcasting them.
Using the radar data, Burl鈥檚 device determines which planes are nearby and
displays the information on a screen in the cockpit. 鈥淚f we just give the pilot
information on who鈥檚 out there, that should go a long way toward improving
safety,鈥� Burl says. The cockpit display will show the locations and speeds of
nearby aircraft and warn pilots of any plane that appears to pose the threat of
a collision.
