What are the key features of the Avidyne TAS600 Active Surveillance Traffic Advisory System used in the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin? The TAS600 series is designed to help with detection and avoidance of other aircraft.
It is the pilot’s responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft but the Traffic Advisory System lends an important real time supporting role as a ‘second pair of eyes.’ The TAS600 key features include the following:
Traffic Advisory System Key Features
- Active Surveillance vs Passive
- Heads-Up Audible Position Alerts
- Visual Alerts
- Three Advisory Levels:
- Non-Threat Advisory
- Proximity Advisory
- Traffic Advisory (Threat)
- Relative Altitude Separation
- Target Climb/Decent
- Automated Ground and Approach Modes
The TAS600 Series actively interrogates transponders from nearby aircraft and warns you when the calculated time to closest approach of any intruder and the protected area around your aircraft reaches a 30 second threshold (additional information is presented on this subject in next week’s blog: “Traffic Advisory System Design“).
The TAS600 assists with visually locating an imminent threat by providing the pilot with a heads-up position alert i.e. Traffic, Traffic One O’ Clock! High! 3 Miles!
Traffic information is displayed in front of the pilot’s regular scan on both the PFD Synthetic Vision System (SVS) and PFD Inset Map. In addition, traffic information is shown on the following MFD pages: Navigation Map, Traffic Map, Active Flight Plan, Nearest Pages, Trip Planning Page, and AUX – Video Page.
Traffic is displayed according to TCAS symbology which uses four (4) symbols. A white diamond with a black center denotes a Non-threat Advisory. An all white diamond denotes a Proximity Advisory. A yellow circle denotes a Traffic Advisory or threat. And, a Traffic Advisory, that is beyond the selected range is shown as a half yellow/half gray circle. All Traffic Advisories identify intruder aircraft that are a potential threat and are accompanied by an audible heads-up position alert.
An Arrow up or down beside the TCAS symbol denotes climb (decent) greater than 500 feet per minute. Relative altitude to your aircraft is shown by plus numbers on top or minus numbers below the TCAS symbol. Add 2 zeros to the number for relative altitude to your aircraft, for example, +05 is equal to 500 feet above your aircraft’s relative altitude.
“Ground Mode enables the system to ignore traffic on the ground and mute audio announcement while displaying traffic more than two hundred feet above the ground eliminating ―nuisance alerts.” Cirrus Aircraft automatically enable and disable Ground Mode.
“The Approach Mode, when engaged, permits the TAS600 Series to ignore traffic on the ground during the approach phase of a flight eliminating ―nuisance alerts. At times the pilot may desire to ―see traffic during approach, with this in mind, the system was engineered as a pilot selectable option. Aircraft on the ground are shown on the PFD synthetic vision system as partial TCAS with diamond symbols protruding from the ground.
Advanced hazard avoidance equipment was a primary consideration in our recent aircraft purchase decision. We wanted all the technically advanced features available in light GA aircraft for the benefits to safety of flight they offer.
Sources:
- Avidyne TAS600 Series Pilot’s Guide, P/N 600-00145-000 (32-2352) Rev 7, 11 Mar 2011
- Avidyne, Choosing a Traffic System, A Comprehensive Buyers Guide, February 2012
- Cirrus Perspective by Garmin – Pilot’s Guide for the SR22, 2008, pp. 342-357
Copyright 2014 wikiWings, LLC, All rights reserved