It is a false narrative to state or suggest that ILS technology is outdated and causes National Airspace System (NAS) congestion. The truth is that existing modern ILS Antenna innovations increase airport capacity yet the FAA, for reasons unknown, has not supported them.
“Watts Antenna Company’s ILS Antennas are the most technologically advanced ILS antennas in the world with substantial benefits yet to be realized. In fact, ILS antenna technology is still in it’s infancy with many more technological innovations yet to come” – John H. Johnson, President Watts Antenna Company.
That is precisely why we have reached out to you as we believe the issue to be of national importance because it relates to current solutions for some of the most persistent challenges facing our NAS . Historically, these solutions have been largely ignored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). We have therefore chosen to broaden our audience to notables such as yourselves who’s responsibilities to the public would be more easily managed with a healthier transportation system and a more stable economy to which these solutions would contribute. Ultimately it is the American people whom you serve that will benefit the most as these solutions potentially can be a catalyst for further economic opportunities. It is in the best interest of all Americans when small businesses develop solutions to national challenges and they are brought to the attention of public officials, that those servants of the public take the time to seriously consider them.
America’s Interests and Identity
Instrument Landing System (ILS) – The Standard-Bearer
Airport Improvement Funding
Understanding Capacity Issues
Understanding Airport Capacity Issues
Our Solution Utilizing Existing Advanced ILS Technology
A Call to Action
A Special Word of Thanks
America’s Interests and Identity
Aviation has played an important role in the prominence of our great nation. Concerns related to transportation, employment, national defense, greenhouse gas emissions, commerce, urban development and many others are affected by aviation. Indeed, because aviation accounts for such a large portion of our national economy, the effects of improvements we make will ripple out to all other sectors of our economy and help secure our nation’s position as the global leader in aviation and commerce. Aviation and free market commerce are integral parts of our national identity and innovations such as ours are vital to our nation for not only do they improve the lives of all our citizens, but they also aid America to maintain her global leadership and prominence.
Instrument Landing System (ILS) -The Standard-Bearer
Watts Antenna Company is one of few remaining companies that continue to research, develop and manufacture advanced ILS antennas because of the lack of funding due to the FAA’s bias against ILS technology. We however, are convinced and can prove that advanced beam forming and steering ILS antenna technology has much more to contribute to aviation. With increasing growth of air traffic, the physical size of aircraft, and the need for construction in and around airports over the years, the radiated signal patterns from standard ILS antennas are frequently encroached upon by the constructed structures and aircraft in the vicinity themselves causing significant disruptions to these signal patterns. The FAA may have you believe that capabilities of ILS technology can no longer keep up with the nation’s growth in air traffic, yet the truth is that they have thwarted ILS innovations that solve the issue from being approved and fielded. The ILS has reliably served as the backbone of precision aviation landing since the 1930’s and the best way to safely increase airport capacity is to include advanced ILS innovations within the FAA’s current modernization plans. We assert that the most cost-effective means to safely increase airport capacity will be to replace standard ILS antennas with available technologically advanced ILS antennas.
Airport Improvement Funding
The FAA recently published a report listing U.S. airports receiving additional grants from them totaling over $600,000,000 in 2018. It is estimated that over 20 billion dollars will be spent on aviation in the U.S. for each of the next 4 years. Inexplicably, considerations of improvement to airports using modern innovations in ILS technology have been excluded yet the legacy landing system technology remains the nation’s trusted landing system. The ILS has made the U.S. the global leader in safe, precision aircraft landing yet modern ILS innovations that would allow increased numbers of safe flights in and out of airports are not being seriously considered.
Understanding Capacity Issues
For several decades decision makers have been attempting to increase airport capacity through various means. However, the most obvious, efficient and cost-effective method has not seriously been considered because of an unwarranted bias against ILS technology. The ILS has been around since the 30’s and is considered outdated by some even though it remains the most called upon landing system technology in use at all major U.S airports today. For 3 decades, nothing has been found to be as robust or reliable enough to replace it. If a business owner took this same approach to their business, they would suffer loss of income. Take for instance a Bed and Breakfast having increasingly more guests staying with them and eventually reaches a point that the output capacity of their hot water heater at times cannot keep up with increasing demand. This would limit the number of patrons for which they could provide hot water at peak times, thereby limiting growth. They could mitigate this capacity issue in several ways. Among their consideration, should be to replace the water heater with a higher capacity highly efficient model. If they choose for years to defer replacing the water heater for any reason, including waiting upon a newer technology, they would need to mitigate the issue in other ways such as scheduling showers at different times or limiting the number of guests, etc., and over time these highly unsatisfactory adjustments become the norm. Without replacing the water heater with a higher capacity model, the B&B management would hinder growth of their business and suffer considerable opportunity losses. The same holds true in the management of any commercial operation including an airport, only in their case, the FAA is currently not allowing funding for the option of replacing their standard ILS antennas with advanced models capable of increasing capacity.
Understanding Airport Capacity Issues
There are similarities of the B&B scenario playing out on a much grander scale regarding NAS stewardship although the challenges facing our NAS are not hypothetical. They are persistent and real with one alarming caveat. Airports risk higher incursion rates (not just a cold shower) when exceeding the capabilities of standard ILS antennas. To date, untold billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent with minimal success mitigating airport capacity issues by attempting to utilize technology that is not yet mature or currently incapable of meeting the requirements to which it is tasked, instead of eliminating the capacity problem through cost effective replacement of underperforming standard ILS antennas with advanced state of the art ILS antennas. Consequently, we still face the same issue of NAS congestion as we did 3 decades ago. Our theoretical B&B managers could have added bedrooms, bathrooms, stairways, and all sorts of amenities in attempts to increase business but until the bottleneck caused by the real issue of insufficient water heating capacity is addressed, the other improvements are little more than window dressings. Likewise, until the bottleneck causing congestion at busy airports is addressed properly, other improvements are of lesser benefit.
Our Solution
Our solution is to replace standard ILS Antennas with advanced ILS Antennas. These advanced antennas are tested, proven, reliable, and resilient drop-in replacements that are compatible with existing aircraft aviation equipment and they are available now. They are a modern generation of ILS technology capable of eliminating current capacity limits and enhancing efficiency wherever they are utilized. It is our belief that advanced ILS technology will unshackle the NAS and transportation departments by providing opportunities in and around airports that have been deprived them by the limited capabilities of standard antennas.
A Call to Action
There is no reason to wait upon a future technology when we can rely upon advanced ILS antennas today. Likewise, there is no good reason to further withhold advanced ILS innovations from being fully tested. We are calling upon all interested parties and stakeholders to let the U.S. Department of Transportation, particularly the Federal Aviation Administration, know that it is time to allow advanced ILS aviation innovations to compete with all other aviation technologies by removing the bias against ILS and once again opening a federal test facility in which ILS innovations can fairly be evaluated.
A Special Word of Thanks
A special word of thanks to those of you who have taken the time to become more informed. Your visit shows that you have a genuine interest in important matters of significance regarding our nation. By reading to the end of this page you have demonstrated a willingness to consider ideas that may be of aid to those of whom you serve. We hope that you now have a clearer understanding of the availability of advanced ILS technology and how if widely implemented, it will enhance all aspects of our nation’s wellbeing.
Click here for a fuller history of our correspondences concerning this issue.