Recently the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has produced a magnificent colour document on ADS-B.  I understand this document has been sent to pilots all around Australia.  The cost must have been well over $100,000.

The brochure shows all the fantastic gizmos, including ADS-B ‘in’ displays, such as a CDTI (Cockpit Display of Traffic Information) and also the small hand-held CDTI.  Unfortunately none of these units actually exist at a reasonable price. 

Incredibly they have shown a photograph of the Microair T2000 ADS-B unit.  The brochure gives the impression that this unit actually exists.  In fact, the photograph is simply a mock-up.  No such unit exists and it could be up to a year before it would be certified – if it can be – and that is only if the money is made available to Microair (either by a substantial order or Government funding) to complete the design.

It is quite sad to find CASA spruiking ADS-B on behalf of Airservices (there is no measurable safety improvement for GA) when you would have thought they would be concentrating on finalising the NAS airspace system.