Notices

Attention All Pilots Flying in the Greater Louisville Area
New Traffic and Flight Information Services Are Available Now

On October 30, 2009, the FAA declared service activation of surveillance and broadcast services at Louisville, KY. Pilots who fly in the greater Louisville area can now receive free traffic and weather information in the cockpit. To receive these services, aircraft must be equipped with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) transmitter/receiver or transceiver and a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI).

The new services include:
Flight Information Service - Broadcast (FIS-B), which provides pilots and flight crews with a cockpit display of aviation weather and aeronautical information.
Be advised, the following FIS-B weather products are for information and strategic purposes only and do not meet the safety and regulatory requirements of official weather products for fuel or flight planning:

• Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METARs).
• Special Aviation Reports (SPECIs).
• Terminal Area Forecasts (TAFs) and their amendments.
• NEXRAD (regional and CONUS) precipitation maps. 
• Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Distant and Flight Data Center. 
• Airmen’s Meteorological Conditions (AIRMET). 
• Significant Meteorological Conditions (SIGMET) and Convective SIGMET. 
• Status of Special Use Airspace (SUA). 
• Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). 
• Winds and Temperatures Aloft. 
• Pilot Reports (PIREPS). 
• TIS-B service status.

Traffic Information Service - Broadcast (TIS-B), which enhances a pilot’s visual acquisition of other traffic.

Be advised, TIS-B is only an advisory service. Pilots must continue to exercise vigilance by looking out the window to "see and avoid" other aircraft, in accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 91.113b. Pilots should not allow themselves to become reliant on the cockpit display of TIS-B information.

The following table lists which type of data link is required to receive TIS-B and FIS-B services:

Users of TIS - B and FIS-B can help the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) correct malfunctions and enhance the service by reporting instances of undesirable system performance. The FAA urges users to report the following information:

1. Time of observation.
2. Location.
3. Type and identity of the aircraft.
4. Description of the condition observed.
5. Type of avionics system and software version used.

You can report issues by contacting the nearest Flight Service Station (FSS) facility or obtaining FAA Form 8000-7, Safety Improvement Report, from FSSs, Flight Standards District Offices, or general aviation fixed-based operators.

The FAA will publish an advisory circular with additional details about coverage, requirements, limitations, transmission intervals, ADS-B broadcast services, and other information in the future.

This information, along with a map of the area, can be seen at https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2009/Nov/ADS-B_in_Louisville_Area_Final.pdf. Click on the link or cut and paste into your browser.

For more information about the FAA’s ADS-B program, visit http://www.adsb.gov.