Electronic Conspicuity: General Aviation says 'yes' but drones pay

The General Aviation Alliance (GAA) says it supports ‘the widespread adoption and integration of electronic conspicuity technologies across all general aviation aircraft’.

“The GAA recognises the potential of these advancements to significantly reduce the risk of mid-air collisions,” said the GAA in an Electronic Conspicuity Position Paper, which outlines the organisation’s stance on the integration and advancement of electronic conspicuity.

However, the GAA – which represents the views of ten general aviation associations – says the technology required should be paid for by the drone industry. The GAA believes the main reason for the drive towards electronic conspicuity is the desire of the drone industry to share general airspace with other users.

“The GAA recognises that the only practical way to have safe integration of BVLOS RPAS* activity with existing aviation is for there to be a system that involves all aircraft being electronically visible,” continues the GAA statement. *BVLOS Beyond Visual Line of Sight, RPAS Remotely Piloted Aircraft System.

Amazon drone delivery video

GAA Electronic Conspicuity Position Paper

These are the key points of the GAA’s electronic conspicuity paper:

• The System must be fully compatible with all existing aviation.
• The System must not introduce any extra risks to existing aviation.
• The System must not inhibit any of existing aviation’s current activities.
• The System must not inhibit the ability of UK based existing aviation to fly to, from, or in other countries and vice versa for foreign based existing aviation.
• All the costs associated with the creation and running of the System should be paid for by the new aviation activities that it has been created to enable, i.e. the beneficiary pays.
• If any capital and running costs have to be paid for by existing aviation they must be as low as possible and directly proportional to the existing costs for each participant.
• The System must not create greater airspace constraints than currently exist.
• The System must enable more and easier access to existing airspace constraints.
• The System should be compatible with all existing devices that have been funded by the DfT\CAA rebate scheme.
• The System must operate at least as efficiently as current collision avoidance systems such as FLARM\PFLARM.
• 3The System must rely on the RPAS taking the avoiding action when conflicting with existing aviation.
• For the existing aviation pilot the System must be include a collision avoidance facility and not just have a situational awareness facility.
• For the existing aviation pilot the System’s collision avoidance facility must include audio attention getters.

General Aviation Alliance

The GA Alliance is a group of organisations representing the interests of many in the UK GA industry. The members of the GAA are:

•       British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC)
•       British Gliding Association (BGA)
•       British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA)
•       British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA)
•       British Skydiving
•       Helicopter Club of Great Britain (HCGB)
•       Light Aircraft Association (LAA)
•       PPL/IR Europe – European Association of Instrument Rated Private Pilots
•       Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom (RAeC)
•       Airfield Operators Group (AOG)

Click here to download the GAA EC paper