Status of TIS traffic system?

[CT4ME]

My new plane has TIS traffic (GTX330/696) but, in doing some research, it seems that TIS is going away. In fact, many of the web references indicate the FAA intended to kill it entirely by 2012... puzzling, as it seems to work fine in the Phoenix area. I can't find authoritative information on it's status on the web... any help? (obviously, its going away sometime... ADS/B... but how about in the short term?)

 

[flyingron]

The problem is that they've removed the feature from the upgrades of the TRACON radar system. So whether it's gone or not depends on whether they've rolled in the new system to your area or not. Still works about the same as it has for the past ten years in the DC Area. I run that and my Zaon while I wait for ADS-B units to settle down a bit.

 

[airguy]

It's not available in my local area (around KMAF) but I get down towards Austin pretty frequently and it's a big help with the traffic there. I'll be heading to San Marcos this weekend in fact.

Still can't wait to have full ADSB in my RV9A though...

 

[tehmightypirate]

If anyone has seen the old TIS map in the AIM you know that it's terrible and out of date.

However, I just found this map from Garmin that seems to be more up to date. http://www8.garmin.com/aviation/tis.jsp

It's dated 2006 but at least lists that sites that were proposed to be deactivated back then which are likely out of service now. At the very least it's a better map than the one in the AIM.

 

[silver-eagle]

I bought a Garmin 330 with TIS used a few years ago because the previous owner was less than delighted with the coverage. That said, I like TIS. It was, and still is, a much cheaper solution than ADS-B even if it does not work everywhere.
I would do ADS-B in a heartbeat if it was a reasonable cost but putting thousands into a 30 year old plane worth about the price of the upgrade does not sound smart. Return on investment would not be there.
If I won the big money prize in a national lottery, well, maybe. Then I wouldn't need to think about return.
By the way, I do not think the Garmin I have is ADS-B ready. If I recall correctly, that is an optional feature that, 5 years ago, was not available.

 

[MSPAviator]

It's available in the vicinity of the MSP area and also around the DLL (Dells, Wisconsin) VOR.

 

[John Collins]

I bought a Garmin 330 with TIS used a few years ago because the previous owner was less than delighted with the coverage. That said, I like TIS. It was, and still is, a much cheaper solution than ADS-B even if it does not work everywhere.
I would do ADS-B in a heartbeat if it was a reasonable cost but putting thousands into a 30 year old plane worth about the price of the upgrade does not sound smart. Return on investment would not be there.
If I won the big money prize in a national lottery, well, maybe. Then I wouldn't need to think about return.
By the way, I do not think the Garmin I have is ADS-B ready. If I recall correctly, that is an optional feature that, 5 years ago, was not available.

Now that you already have a GTX330 with TIS installed, it is cheaper to stay with what you have. You can upgrade your GTX330 to ES for $1200 plus a small amount of labor assuming you already have a GNS530W or other compatible WAAS GPS. Your upgraded GTX330ES won't display ADSB traffic, but it can still display the mode S TIS you already have. However, for someone who does not have a GTX330 and contemplating installing one, the GDL88 is very likely cheaper and offers more function for the pilot including ADS-B weather and traffic.

 

[CT4ME]

Someone, elsewhere, said that you don't need to do the ES thing if you never intend to fly over 18K. Any truth to that? Garmin 696 should provide WAAS?

 

[John Collins]

Someone, elsewhere, said that you don't need to do the ES thing if you never intend to fly over 18K. Any truth to that? Garmin 696 should provide WAAS?

Absolutely true, as of Jan 2020. ES is required above 18000 MSL. Either ES or UAT is required below 18000 MSL. See 91.225.

The Garmin 696 has a WAAS GPS built into it, but does not meet the requirements for a WAAS position source and it is portable equipment and not installed, as required by the same 91.225 regulation.

 

[poadeleted20]

Someone, elsewhere, said that you don't need to do the ES thing if you never intend to fly over 18K. Any truth to that? Garmin 696 should provide WAAS?

False. The 696 will not provide the ADS-B-out necessary for essentially everywhere a transponder is required today. Now, the ES option is not the only solution to ADS-B-out below 18,000 (John mentions other available options), and in that sense it is not required, but even below 18,000, you'll have to put in some sort of legal ADS-B-out system by 2020 to fly in all that airspace, and the ES is one of several possible solutions.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

It's available in the vicinity of the MSP area and also around the DLL (Dells, Wisconsin) VOR.

Yeah, that map is worthless. Milwaukee and Madison both have TIS and aren't on the map at all. I don't know if Green Bay's is still there or not. And, I think at least one if not both of the sites in Iowa are gone.