FAA: New flight navigational technology is greener
By MALIA WOLLAN, Associated Press Writer
Friday, September 12, 2008
(09-12) 18:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO, (AP) --
Federal Aviation Administration officials gathered Friday to promote new flight and navigational technologies that reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions while also decreasing passenger delays.
FAA officials at San Francisco International Airport watched the arrival of a blue-tailed Boeing 777 Airways New Zealand flight from Auckland to showcase airplanes controlled and monitored by satellite-based GPS rather than ground-based radar.
The flight was the first of its kind for the airline and part of an ongoing FAA effort to streamline trans-Pacific flights.
After exiting the plane, the Airways New Zealand pilot said Friday's flight saved 1,200 gallons of jet fuel and avoided 12 tons of carbon from being emitted into the air. Plus, passengers arrived five minutes ahead of schedule.
"From taxi to touch down, it's just flat-out green," FAA's Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell said of the coordinated use of GPS by airline pilots and air traffic control personnel.
The GPS-enabled technology allows planes to take more direct and fuel-efficient flight routes. Sturgell likened it to building a car pool lane in the sky.
Friday's display was part of a long-term initiative by the FAA to overhaul the technology used by the nation's air traffic controllers.
The FAA calls the technology upgrade Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, which they say will improve safety, decrease delays and lower fuel costs for the struggling airline industry.
"With jet fuel going for three to four dollars a gallon, and more people than ever wanting to fly, we need to do everything we can to ensure that aviation remains a safe and efficient means of getting there," said Sturgell.
The FAA's GPS-based system requires increased collaboration between airline pilots navigating planes and air traffic controllers monitoring their movement.
The new system allows pilots more freedom in determining the most efficient route to a destination by climbing to high elevations more quickly and taking longer, more gradual descents to the runway.
The FAA's NextGen program is gradually being introduced across the country, with nationwide conversion to satellite-based air traffic control expected in 2025. The program is slated to cost taxpayers $16 billion to $22 billion, Sturgell said.
By MALIA WOLLAN, Associated Press Writer
Friday, September 12, 2008
(09-12) 18:17 PDT SAN FRANCISCO, (AP) --
Federal Aviation Administration officials gathered Friday to promote new flight and navigational technologies that reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions while also decreasing passenger delays.
FAA officials at San Francisco International Airport watched the arrival of a blue-tailed Boeing 777 Airways New Zealand flight from Auckland to showcase airplanes controlled and monitored by satellite-based GPS rather than ground-based radar.
The flight was the first of its kind for the airline and part of an ongoing FAA effort to streamline trans-Pacific flights.
After exiting the plane, the Airways New Zealand pilot said Friday's flight saved 1,200 gallons of jet fuel and avoided 12 tons of carbon from being emitted into the air. Plus, passengers arrived five minutes ahead of schedule.
"From taxi to touch down, it's just flat-out green," FAA's Acting Administrator Robert Sturgell said of the coordinated use of GPS by airline pilots and air traffic control personnel.
The GPS-enabled technology allows planes to take more direct and fuel-efficient flight routes. Sturgell likened it to building a car pool lane in the sky.
Friday's display was part of a long-term initiative by the FAA to overhaul the technology used by the nation's air traffic controllers.
The FAA calls the technology upgrade Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, which they say will improve safety, decrease delays and lower fuel costs for the struggling airline industry.
"With jet fuel going for three to four dollars a gallon, and more people than ever wanting to fly, we need to do everything we can to ensure that aviation remains a safe and efficient means of getting there," said Sturgell.
The FAA's GPS-based system requires increased collaboration between airline pilots navigating planes and air traffic controllers monitoring their movement.
The new system allows pilots more freedom in determining the most efficient route to a destination by climbing to high elevations more quickly and taking longer, more gradual descents to the runway.
The FAA's NextGen program is gradually being introduced across the country, with nationwide conversion to satellite-based air traffic control expected in 2025. The program is slated to cost taxpayers $16 billion to $22 billion, Sturgell said.