Waco, TX – Nov. 11, 2026 – TSTC Waco Airport (CNW), owned and operated by Texas State Technical College, began using the uAvionix FlightLine Airborne Position Reference Tool (APRT), in its air traffic control tower this month. Controllers at one of the busiest flight training airports in Texas now work from a real-time display of the aircraft operating in the airspace around the airport. Before the system was installed, controllers relied on their view from the tower cab. The system was installed Nov. 2, 2026, passed its site acceptance test Nov. 3, and entered service Nov. 4.

FlightLine APRT builds on the sensors and backend used by the Surface Surveillance Initiative (SAI), which is operating at 69 Federal Aviation Administration towers nationwide. Under an FAA system design approval (SDA), APRT displays each aircraft’s position, identification, altitude, and flight data in the tower cab, with coverage extending 20 nautical miles from the runway thresholds. The FAA has approved FlightLine APRT as a surveillance tool built for contract-staffed airport traffic control towers. Historically, 91 such towers had no surveillance available. CNW’s tower is owned by the airport sponsor and staffed under the FAA Contract Tower Program by Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. The tower operates 16 hours a day.

“We run a lot of traffic here, and almost all of it is training,” said Joseph A. Campbell, Airport Manager at TSTC Waco Airport. “Our controllers were working that traffic on vision and the radio. With student pilot traffic, extra awareness of their positions is a must-have feature. FlightLine APRT gives them the picture the airspace around this airport has needed for years, and it enhances safety for every student pilot, instructor, and operator on the field.”

TSTC operates its FAA Part 141 pilot training program at the airport, along with aircraft airframe, powerplant, avionics, and uncrewed aircraft programs. The airport has two parallel runways and is home to several aviation businesses, including L3Harris. It supports a mix of training and other aircraft operations.

With the TSTC Waco Airport installation, FlightLine APRT is now in service at five air traffic control towers staffed by RVA: Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) in Loveland, Colorado; North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field (GYI) in Sherman-Denison, Texas; Hilton Head Island Airport (HXD) in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Gulf Shores International Airport/Jack Edwards Field (JKA) in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Two additional RVA towers, Leesburg International Airport (LEE) in Leesburg, Florida, and Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport (BKV) in Brooksville, Florida, are set for installation later this year.

“Waco is exactly the kind of airport this system was built for,” said Cyriel Kronenburg, Vice President, Airports & ATM at uAvionix. “A busy training environment, a contract tower working sixteen hours a day, and until last week, no surveillance of any kind. Procedurally, nothing changes for the controllers, but they now have an accurate picture of what is out there to look for. TSTC and the RVA team moved quickly on this, and we are glad to have them in service as part of our growing set of APRT deployments.”

For more information on FlightLine APRT, visit uavionix.com or email airports@uavionix.com.

About uAvionix

uAvionix is a global leader in avionics technology innovation, dedicated to enhancing airspace safety and efficiency. uAvionix products and services support safer integration and operations within increasingly complex airspace environments. With a commitment to pioneering technologies such as ADS-B and air traffic management solutions, uAvionix continues to set industry benchmarks and drive the modernization of aviation infrastructure worldwide.

About TSTC Waco Airport

TSTC Waco Airport (CNW) in Waco, Texas, is owned and operated by Texas State Technical College and is home to the college’s aviation programs, including its FAA Part 141 pilot training program. The airport has two parallel runways on a 2,200-acre site eight miles northeast of Waco, and its air traffic control tower is staffed under the FAA Contract Tower Program by Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc.

Media Contacts

Texas State Technical College
Daniel Perry
Marketing & Communications Specialist
daniel.perry@tstc.edu
254.867.3432

uAvionix
Cyriel Kronenburg
Vice President, Airports & ATM 
Cyriel.Kronenburg@uAvionix.com 
Airports@uAvionix.com