Sorting out ADS-B issues

Aviation General Aviation
1

Just recently had ADS-B out installed and according to the FAA it was reporting a BAlt failure. We took a test flight from KMKL - KOLV on Sunday and got the operational report back on that flight showing 100% BAlt failure. I took it to the shop today and optimistic that it’s working, but I have doubts. The ADS-B unit is Freeflight connected to an Aspen 2500 deck.

The attached image is a capture of Sundays flight. I marked up the image. Basically, FA shows a dotted blue line starting where I picked up VFR flight following and ending at KOLV. FA shows another dotted blue line departing KOLV but then doubling back to KOLV. The flight path to KOLV is drawn in red. The flight path From KOLV is drawn in magenta. The point were the magenta line ends is the point where FA started tracking a green line. The green FA line shows the flight through the RNAV approach into KMKL.

What’s odd is that FA seems to have tracked the VFR flight AFTER the Aspen displayed a red X on TRFC.

This sort of a 2 part question.

(1) I’m trying to figure out a way to see if my ADS-B is working and thought that FA would track all aircraft with ADS-B out. If it does, then my ADS-B issues are probably not solved.

(2) I’m trying to figure out why FA displayed this flight like it did…and it it has anything to do with my ADS-B problems.

Thanks

http://www.trucutcnc.com/images/RC08.jpg

2

Do you know what the ADS-B receiver coverage is like in that area? It’s possible you were just below the coverage for parts of the flight.

(Looking at the detailed tracklog may give you some clues too as it’ll tell you the source of the positions)

3

According to the FAA website, there are no blackout areas in the state of TN below 3000ft. Right now we’re not transmitting BAlt data, so that could have something to do with it. That should be rectified next week. I was curious why FA would pick up the tail end of a VFR flight…Unless…

When we got within range of KMKL, I called tower and requested a practice approach. I wonder if they put us in the system at that time. That would be about the same time the flight appeared on FA.

4

Sorry, I mean the Flightaware ADS-B coverage (Piaware receivers et al), not the FAA coverage.
If you dig into the tracklog for the flight it should distinguish positions from the FA ADS-B network vs. positions relayed from FAA coverage.

(edit: Hmm. When you say “ADS-B out” do you mean 1090MHz ES or 978MHz UAT? They will behave quite differently)