An FAA scientist has been named the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Airway Transportation Systems Specialist of the Year. Steven Edwards was honored for his innovative work to enhance the safety and efficiency of airport instrument landing systems.
Edwards, a member of the FAA's Navigational Aids unit at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, was cited by ATCA for creating the localizer cable fault analyzer, a unique electronic device that can quickly troubleshoot problems in an instrument landing system's (ILS) antenna array.
The ILS provides precise course and height guidance to an aircraft approaching a runway. The system is made up of a localizer antenna array, with several pairs of directional antennas beyond the end of the runway. All antennas must be functioning properly for the transmitted signal to be correct in the aircraft and for the system to work properly. Any antenna problem can result in an unsafe condition during the final approach.
