Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Airport landing system nearly operational

---

By PAT MURPHY
Express Staff Writer

Although not up and running for operational use, some details are beginning to fall in place about who will operate and use Friedman Memorial Airport's new Transponder Landing System.

The TLS, sought by Friedman for a decade to allow landings in some inclement weather, has been installed but now awaits final certification by the Federal Aviation Administration and acceptance by its sponsor, SkyWest Airlines.

Airport Manager Rick Baird said Monday that SkyWest would be the system's operator on behalf of the FAA.

However, aircraft owners who want to use the system must first apply, Baird said, and must put pilots through rudimentary training in the use of a TLS. Users could pay a fee to SkyWest.

• acheter viagra
• comprare viagra
• comprar viagra

But the system is relatively simple to use for pilots already instrument-rated. Pilots on landing approach essentially radio ground operators for a numerical code, click it into the aircraft's cockpit transponder, then begin receiving radio transmitted signals to a cockpit instrument needle that shows when the aircraft is aligned on the runway for landing.

Maintaining altitude during the approach would be done by monitoring the standard altimeter readings during the descent.

Over the past several months, a local charter pilot, Steven Garman of Sun Valley Air, has flown some 50 test approaches on the TLS in his Lear 60 jet and his smaller Cessna 180 prop plane, but in clear weather.