Andrew Gideon wrote:
On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 10:45:03 -0400, Peter R. wrote:

Yep, a lot of my flying is in that big blue blob over the northeast US so
TIS serves my well.

But the question facing me (and my fellow partners): would you buy TIS
*today* given the FAA's emphasis on ADS-B and TIS-B?
snip

The question isn't whether you should buy TIS. It's whether you should
buy a Mode-S transponder, because that's the primary difference between
the 327 and 330. TIS is just a perk of moving to Mode-S, and it was
specifically designed that way to encourage pilots to move to Mode-S
when it became clear they would not otherwise willingly adopt the new,
more costly, technology.

The FAA is continuing to invest in Mode-S radars (the ASR-11 is
replacing the ASR 7, 8, and 9 units that currently support TIS), so an
investment in the airborne component is still a wise move and will be
for MANY years.

Oh, and don't believe the hype out of Blakley's mouth for a second.
ADS-B is not being deployed so they can "decommission radar". That will
not happen in our lifetime due to security concerns. I fear that the
*real* reason the FAA is pushing ADS-B is for billing purposes. With
the kind of reliable and accurate position data facilitiated by ADS-B,
they could charge us by the mile.

-Doug

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Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
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