AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2016 - 35

FIRST LOOK |

Remote towers
High hopes for new ATC technology

A STUNNING ARRAY of 14 high-definition monitors provides a glimpse into what could be the future of air
traffic control. SAAB Technologies has finished the
initial stage of testing on the nation's first remote air
traffic control tower. Remote towers are much cheaper
to build and maintain than traditional towers. The
remote tower works using cameras mounted on top of
the terminal. This gives controllers a clear, 360-degree
view of the field. Controllers can work either at the airport or from a remote location. The first tower is being
tested at Leesburg Executive Airport in Virginia.
"We've been observing traffic at Leesburg since
August, and our objective is to assemble observations
to go to the FAA safety panel and present a case that
says this technology is as safe and as reliable and as efficient as a brick-and-mortar tower," said Matt Massiano,
director of business development for SAAB.
Looking at the monitors, controllers have many of
the same tools they have in a traditional tower. They
can use a pan-tilt zoom camera to look for traffic as
they would in person. They can even shoot light gun
signals. It is all controlled using a touchscreen.
Controllers also can use technology not available in
a traditional tower. "We can overlay radar data when
available, [and] provide a data block on the picture so
a controller could see arriving traffic that might be 10
miles away," said Massiano.
SAAB has high hopes for the technology. After
approval from the FAA the company plans to use the
remote tower to make Leesburg a Class D airport.

CAMERAS ARE mounted on top of
the terminal towers (right) and
transfer images to screens at
locations either on the
airport or from a remote
location (below).

"I think the pilot community will
be very happy with the results they
see here. I know I am looking forward to it," said Massiano. "I think
it's going to smooth operations out
a lot and I think we will see a real
improvement in the way things
work."
There are many options for what
the technology could be used for in

the future. "I think we can provide
services to airports that don't have
air traffic control services. We could
provide service from a tracon where
we could see a runway where we are
shooting an ILS approach, we could
see that airplane land and turn off,
and shoot the next ILS approach.
Really to us it fits right into NextGen,
enhancing the safety and making it
more efficient," he said.
The technology opens a lot of
opportunities to smaller airports
such as Leesburg.
"We expect to see more business
aircraft coming in here that are going
to Dulles [International Airport] now.
We think this is a good business tool
allowing better utilization of this airport, better utilization of the national
airspace, and better use of the business travelers' time," said Massiano.
www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 35

http://www.aopa.org/pilot

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2016