Which system broadcasts position and other data to air traffic control and nearby aircraft?

• A. Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast
• B. Automatic Dependent Surveillance Beam
• C. Airborne Surveillance Broadcast
• D. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast

Answer: (D)

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, is the system that broadcasts your aircraft’s position and other data to air traffic control and nearby aircraft. It works by using the aircraft’s own navigation positioning (GPS/GNSS) to determine where you are and what your velocity and altitude are, then sends that information via a data-link broadcast to ATC and to any other aircraft equipped to receive it. This makes surveillance more precise and extends coverage beyond radar, while also giving nearby aircraft real-time awareness of traffic. The data typically includes identity, altitude, and velocity in addition to position. In the U.S. you’ll see two main broadcast methods under ADS-B: one that uses the 1090 MHz channel and another that uses the 978 MHz UAT channel.