The application of automatic surface lights to improve airport safety

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Airport Surface Traffic Automation (ASTA) program, part of an effort to develop new techniques for managing airport traffic, is discussed. ASTA focuses on advanced surveillance, communications, and automation techniques, with the objectives of improving airport safety, reducing delays, and increasing efficiency. Particular attention is given to the first phase of the ASTA program, ASTA-1, which calls for the development of a system of automatic runway status lights located at entrances to runways and in front of positions from which takeoffs commonly begin. Both types of ASTA-1 lights are designed for fully automatic operation in all-weather conditions. MIT Lincoln Laboratory is working on a demonstration of the ASTA-1 system at Boston's Logan International Airport. This system will operate based on live airport traffic and will validate the operational concept using a scale model of the airport plus surveillance displays. It will not at this stage involve actual surface lights or equipment in the control tower.<
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