I suspect that when ADS-B out is fully implemented, we'll actually see an increase in aviation accidents. Why I say this is because we'll have a very large number of pilots keeping their heads (i.e. eyes and brains) in the cockpit, and not looking outside and flying the aircraft. Just look at the current world around us.
The vast majority of our population with the millennials taking an extreme lead, spending majority of their lives looking down at their smart phones, inside their little bubble, oblivious to the world around them. The number of auto accidents have increased because drivers are "keeping their head in the cockpit" playing with the pretty pictures and data on their phones. The level of personal injuries are up because these same people are walking "with their heads in the cockpit" and walking into things, tripping, and falling.
I work for a major university in SoCal. Every day I have to walk across a major intersection on my way to work from my assigned parking lot. As I stand at the cross walk, I constantly observe all the rest of the people with "their heads in the cockpit" looking at their phones. When the light turns green to walk across, I'm the only one who starts to move forward and walk, the rest are still inside their little bubble, oblivious to their surroundings. I've watched people fall off the curb, walk into poles, meander off the sidewalk into the adjacent foliage, miss the green walk light complete and then start to walk against a red don't walk sign, and my favorite, experience a head on collision with another walker who is also walking "with their head in the cockpit." These same people are going to be our new pilots of the present and future, and will easily transfer this "head in the cockpit" oblivious to the world around them mindset into a real cockpit.
The reason why ABS-B was created is to eventually eliminate the costly RADAR controlled centers, the career air traffic controllers with salaries and pensions, and the tort liability from human errors within that system. All that cost, responsibility, and liability will be transferred to the pilot in the cockpit with ADS-B.
Yes, ADS-B is hear to stay and we all have to accept the requirements if we want to fly our own aircraft within the national airspace system. For those gyroplane pilots who desire to fly within Class D,C & perhaps B airspace should keep it simple, posses the basic ADS-B out system, and continue to fly with their "head outside the cockpit." See and be seen.
Wayne
. Convenient, and looks like its the the one Chris was using.
