ADS-B isn’t just about regulatory compliance. It’s not just about avoiding traffic or checking the weather. When used properly, ADS-B fundamentally changes how you fly—making you more aware, more informed, and significantly safer.
I’ve been flying with ADS-B since before the mandate, and I can honestly say it’s saved me from bad situations more times than I can count. Here are five real-world ways ADS-B equipped with a receiver like Stratux makes you a safer pilot.
1. Traffic Awareness: See and Be Seen (Even When You Can’t)
The classic “see and avoid” doctrine works great in CAVU conditions with unlimited visibility. It works less well when you’re:
- Flying into the sun
- Scanning for traffic while also managing radios, navigation, and systems
- Dealing with haze, scattered clouds, or glare
- Operating in high-density airspace where traffic comes from every direction
Real-World Scenario:
I was flying VFR under a Class B shelf on a hazy summer afternoon. My ADS-B alerted me to traffic at my 7 o’clock, 500 feet below, climbing. I looked—nothing visible. Kept scanning. Suddenly, there he was, a Cirrus popping out of the haze less than a mile away, climbing right toward my altitude.
Without ADS-B, I wouldn’t have known to look in that specific direction at that moment. The alert gave me 20-30 seconds of advance notice—enough to start a gentle turn away and maintain visual separation.
How to Use ADS-B Traffic Effectively:
- Don’t fixate on the screen. ADS-B is a supplement to visual scanning, not a replacement.
- Set audio alerts wisely. Too chatty and you’ll ignore them; too quiet and you’ll miss critical calls.
- Focus on traffic within ±1,000 feet altitude. A plane 3,000 feet below you is interesting but not immediately threatening.
- Remember the limitations: Not all aircraft have ADS-B Out yet. Keep scanning.
2. Weather Awareness: Don’t Fly Into What You Can’t See
FIS-B weather via ADS-B delivers NEXRAD radar, METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, and TFRs directly to your iPad or EFB. It’s not real-time (NEXRAD has a 5-15 minute delay), but it’s transformative for VFR pilots who previously had to call Flight Watch or guess based on distant clouds.
Real-World Scenario:
Flying cross-country VFR, I watched a line of buildups develop 30 miles ahead. On the NEXRAD overlay, I could see the storm cells, their intensity, and their movement. Instead of pressing on and hoping for a gap, I diverted 15 miles east, skirted the weather, and landed safely. Total delay: 10 minutes. Alternative: flying into embedded thunderstorms and possibly making the evening news.
How to Use ADS-B Weather Effectively:
- Know the NEXRAD delay. It’s not real-time. Don’t use it for tactical storm avoidance—use it for strategic planning.
- Layer multiple data sources. NEXRAD + METARs + PIREPs + your eyeballs = good decision-making.
- Watch trends, not snapshots. Is the weather building or dissipating? Moving toward you or away?
- Don’t scud-run because “the NEXRAD looks clear.” Ground clutter and low-level features don’t always show up.
3. TFR Avoidance: Stay Legal Without Constant Briefing Checks
Temporary Flight Restrictions pop up constantly—presidential TFRs, sporting events, wildfires, security incidents. Miss one, and you’re looking at FAA enforcement, possible certificate suspension, and a very bad day.
Real-World Scenario:
I was flying a familiar route when a new TFR appeared on my ADS-B weather overlay—a wildfire TFR that hadn’t existed during my pre-flight briefing 3 hours earlier. I was 10 miles from the boundary and closing. A quick diversion added 5 minutes to my flight and kept me out of trouble.
Without in-flight TFR updates, I might have blundered in, triggering intercepts and enforcement action. ADS-B gave me the situational awareness to avoid a potentially career-ending mistake.
How to Use TFR Data Effectively:
- Glance at your EFB’s TFR overlay periodically. Once every 20-30 minutes on cross-country flights.
- Don’t rely solely on ADS-B. Brief thoroughly before flight, but use in-flight data as a safety net.
- Understand TFR geometry. Some TFRs have altitude waivers or cutouts. Read the NOTAM, don’t just avoid the magenta circle.
4. Real-Time Weather Updates: Adapt Your Plan in Flight
Flight planning is great, but weather doesn’t read the forecast. Fronts move faster or slower than predicted. Thunderstorms develop earlier or later. Visibility deteriorates unexpectedly. ADS-B gives you the data to adapt.
Real-World Scenario:
Planned destination was forecast for VFR all day. Halfway there, ADS-B METAR updates showed the field dropping to IFR (I’m VFR-only). I diverted to an alternate 20 miles away that was still reporting CAVU. Landed, refueled, grabbed lunch, waited an hour for the weather to pass, then continued to my original destination.
Without ADS-B, I would’ve pressed on, arrived to find the field socked in, and faced a stressful diversion search with a dwindling fuel reserve. ADS-B gave me early warning and time to make a calm, rational decision.
How to Use In-Flight METAR/TAF Updates:
- Check destination weather 30-45 minutes out. Still good? Proceed. Deteriorating? Consider alternates.
- Monitor enroute weather. Conditions at fields along your route give clues about what’s ahead.
- Have a backup plan before you need one. Know your alternates and their fuel requirements.
5. Situational Awareness in Unfamiliar Airspace
Flying into new airports or unfamiliar airspace is stressful. You’re managing navigation, radio calls, traffic patterns, local procedures—and you’re doing it for the first time. ADS-B reduces the cognitive load by showing you traffic flow and nearby aircraft behavior.
Real-World Scenario:
First time flying into a busy Class D field. I could see on ADS-B that most traffic was entering on a 45° to the downwind from the west. I planned my arrival accordingly, joined the flow smoothly, and integrated into the pattern without conflict. The tower controller barely had to speak to me—I was already where I needed to be.
How to Use ADS-B for Airspace Familiarization:
- Observe traffic patterns. Where are aircraft entering and exiting? What altitudes are they using?
- Spot the flow. Busy airspace has rhythms. ADS-B lets you see them before you’re in the middle of it.
- Reduce radio overload. Knowing where traffic is means you can listen to ATC without constant “Where is that guy?” scanning.
The ADS-B Safety Mindset
ADS-B is a tool, not a magic bullet. It makes you safer IF you use it correctly:
- Head up, not down: Don’t fixate on the iPad. Glance, process, eyes back outside.
- Supplement, don’t replace: ADS-B augments see-and-avoid, briefings, and radio calls. It doesn’t replace them.
- Understand the limits: NEXRAD delay, traffic coverage gaps, TFR geometry—know what you’re seeing and what you’re not.
- Practice before you need it: Familiarize yourself with traffic alerts, weather overlays, and EFB features during safe, calm flights—not in an emergency.
Getting Started with ADS-B
If you don’t have ADS-B In yet, you’re missing a critical safety tool. A Stratux receiver from Crew Dog Electronics costs $379-449 and delivers dual-band traffic, full FIS-B weather, GPS, and optional AHRS. It works with ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, Avare, FlyQ, and virtually every EFB app.
For the cost of a few hours of rental time, you get a tool that makes every flight safer. That’s a no-brainer investment.
The Bottom Line
ADS-B has made me a safer, more confident pilot. It’s prevented mid-air conflicts, kept me out of weather, saved me from TFR busts, and given me situational awareness I couldn’t get any other way.
Is it required? Not for ADS-B In (only Out is mandated). But should you have it? Absolutely. The question isn’t “Can I afford ADS-B?” It’s “Can I afford to fly without it?”
Get equipped with Stratux and discover how much safer—and more enjoyable—flying becomes when you have the full picture.
Fly safe. Fly informed. Fly with ADS-B.