The European Aviation Safety Agency and Eurocontrol, together with aviation stakeholders, have jointly developed two use case descriptions for the use of Electronic Conspicuity (EC) to enhance traffic awareness for pilots and facilitate integration of drones in shared airspace. The use cases will serve as input to the joint Electronic Conspicuity assessment and validation work performed in Europe and aim to support the safety of manned and unmanned aviation through affordable, interoperable and harmonised solutions, say the two organisations in a statement.
“The use case for Electronic Conspicuity in Air-to-Air explains how aircraft can use Electronic Conspicuity systems to detect and become visible to each other directly in flight. Aircraft equipped with EC devices transmit their position and receive information about nearby aircraft, helping pilots better understand surrounding traffic and prevent conflicts. The additional “electronic view” or “conspicuousness” of nearby aircraft is expected to improve awareness and safety.
“The use case for Electronic Conspicuity in U-space without ATC explains how manned aircraft and drones can share the same airspace in areas where there is no air traffic control (ATC) service. Manned aircraft use Electronic Conspicuity from which U-space Service Providers (USSPs) receive information and pass it to drone operators so that they are aware of nearby aircraft and can take the relevant action to avoid any collision hazard.
The joint work between EUROCONTROL and EASA helps create a consistent European approach to Electronic Conspicuity, say EASA and Eurocontrol. It aims to align requirements across Europe, encourage adoption of interoperable technologies and support pilots, operators, manufacturers and service providers with harmonised guidance.
For more information
https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/news/easa-and-eurocontrol-release-electronic-conspicuity-use-cases-safer-shared