Suprising listener to Live ATC

[cessna157]

I thought you guys would enjoy this.  I found out that the dispatchers for my airline, who are working the ATC coordination desk, have a couple new tools for their use.

JFK now is using a system called ASDE-X (which I think has been described on these forums before).  Basically, it is a ground radar system that uses the aircraft's transponder to identify it, just like airborne radar.  Our dispactchers have a software tool that allows them to see the layout of JFK and the location of all of the taxiing aircraft (those who have their xpdrs on like they should).  It is a great tool to find the location of aircraft that are arriving and/or departing that may be stuck in one of JFK's notoriously incredible lines. 

But, to get to the funny thing, this system is just a very accurate diagram of the runways/taxiways/terminals at JFK (its almost the same thing the controllers look at).  But, for them to get a better idea of what is going on, you guessed it, they've got the JFK tower LiveATC feed going in the background.

So, its not just the casual listeners who are on the feed.  It an airline using it to assit with its daily operation.

[KSYR-pjr]

But, to get to the funny thing, this system is just a very accurate diagram of the runways/taxiways/terminals at JFK (its almost the same thing the controllers look at).  But, for them to get a better idea of what is going on, you guessed it, they've got the JFK tower LiveATC feed going in the background.

Interesting.   

I had originally replied here that without some type of service agreement this is a pretty risky move for an airline to build a whole system around a free, volunteer service that could become unavailable at any moment.   On second thought, though, I suppose LiveATC may have some type of arrangement.

[IndyTower]

But, to get to the funny thing, this system is just a very accurate diagram of the runways/taxiways/terminals at JFK (its almost the same thing the controllers look at).  But, for them to get a better idea of what is going on, you guessed it, they've got the JFK tower LiveATC feed going in the background.

Interesting.   

I had originally replied here that without some type of service agreement this is a pretty risky move for an airline to build a whole system around a free, volunteer service that could become unavailable at any moment.   On second thought, though, I suppose LiveATC may have some type of arrangement.

I don't necessarily think it's something that dispatch relies on by any means, more just a tool that aids their operation.  If it's down, they just wouldn't be able to use that additional tool, but they could still do their job just the same.

When I was at PHL, I often would use a Passur application that displayed aircraft positions and monitor ATC frequencies, particularly during inclement weather when aircraft were holding, to determine the position of inbound aircraft and lengths of holds.  While I didn't have to have that information by any means, it certainly did help in planning fueling operations, and was a great asset.   

[KSYR-pjr]

While I didn't have to have that information by any means, it certainly did help in planning fueling operations, and was a great asset.   

I think that there is the key, though.  When something becomes a great asset it then elevates in importance, often times supplanting other available tools that may be less convenient.   

Tell me that after a year of using a free tool that the users wouldn't be greatly disappointed if it went away.  Heck, we see that here from the user community when feeds become unavailable! 

[Jason]

That's great to hear.  I also use the resources we have here at work, and have spread the word to our other dispatchers and operations personnel.  It works really well, especially for various flight following functions.

Jason

[JayDub]

I'm a dispatcher and I use the several of the live feeds every now and again to get a better idea of what is going on out there when information is slow to come in.  It's good to use any available resource.

[air727]

Jaydub as a dispatcher, does the 5 or second delay on in transmission on live atc , have any affect on what information you're receiving.