The United States’ National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stand up a group of experts to explore electronic conspicuity (EC), following the agency’s reopening of the comment period on the proposed Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (BVLOS) ruling.
The proposed rule, published in September 2025, would allow certain low altitude BVLOS missions by uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) without waivers or exemptions; would create operating rules for UAS package delivery, agriculture, surveying, public safety and flight testing; and describes airworthiness for aircraft to be flown under proposed Part 108.
In its comments NBAA strongly urged the FAA to require EC of all aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). The association says this may have some traction with the FAA, as the agency reopened the proposed rule’s comment period to gather information on the availability of EC devices, performance capabilities of such devices and what industry consensus standards might apply to the devices.
“The overarching goal is to have every aircraft in the NAS sharing its position,” said Heidi Williams, NBAA vice president of air traffic services and infrastructure. “The situational awareness provided by universal position sharing is the game changer for improving safety.”
NBAA, in its most recent feedback to the FAA, described the uAvionix SkyEcho, which it says may meet the safety intent of EC for aircraft-to-aircraft deconfliction, and indicated that some other technologies are deployed in Europe. But the association said that without a clear definition of EC, there is no way to determine if a device might be applicable.
“The FAA asked pointed questions about the availability of EC devices without defining ‘EC’ or establishing performance standards,” Williams explained. “There could be a range of solutions that meet the safety intent of not only this proposed rule but other airspace where air to air deconfliction would enhance overall safety.
“The next logical step is to get experts around the table to collaborate on a clear definition of EC and its performance standards, explore existing technologies that might comply with those standards and identify a forward-thinking pathway for EC for all aircraft in the NAS,” Williams added. “This is how we will have the greatest impact on aviation safety in the US.”
To explore EC more comprehensively, NBAA is encouraging the agency to stand up an Aviation Rulemaking Committee. This committee’s tasks would include defining EC; identifying existing and emerging technologies capable of broadcasting or sharing aircraft position information; and developing a dedicated, performance-based standard for portable devices that are economically viable and commercial feasible.
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Image: NBAA