Recommendations on electronic visibility and human factors

Today’s electronic visibility technologies can help prevent dangerous approaches (airprox). However, this only works if all aircraft are equipped with e-conspicuity devices and the interaction between technology and pilot is tailored to their mutual strengths and weaknesses. In the FASST-CH (Future Aviation Surveillance Services and Technologies in Switzerland) project, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) is working with airspace users to develop solutions to ensure the electronic visibility of air traffic. Today, a wealth of aviation data and technologies are available, thanks in part to the internet. This offers major advantages. With a so-called “traffic uplink,” for example, traffic data from air traffic can be fed into the internet and sent back to aviation participants. The data also opens up completely new possibilities for search and rescue services and FIS-B (Flight Information Service Broadcast). The EASA’s goal is to use such technologies to improve the see-and-avoid success rate from around 50% today to up to 80%. FASST-CH wants to achieve and exceed this safety goal for Switzerland.

Technology recommendations for e-conspicuity devices and financial support

Following in-depth analysis and intensive investigations, FASST-CH recently published technology recommendations for the various aircraft categories at www.bazl.admin.ch/fasst-ch. These recommendations provide important guidance for owners and pilots on equipping aircraft with the appropriate devices to ensure electronic visibility. The recommendations are based on the two standards ADS-L and ADS-B. They also take into account currently widely used technologies such as FLARM, FANET+, Mode S transponders, as well as new developments from PilotAware, Avionix, SafeSky, and Skytraxx, for example. Financial support for equipping aircraft with the appropriate devices can be applied for via special aviation financing (BV87).

Consider human factors

e-Conspicuity devices and electronic flight bags (EFBs, mobile phones, tablets, etc.) offer numerous advantages for airspace surveillance. A traffic advisory can increase the probability of seeing another aircraft by a factor of eight. However, EFBs can also cause distractions during flight. The UK CAA demonstrates this in an impressive video. When a traffic alert appears on the EFB, the usual “traffic scan” is often suspended because the pilot’s attention is focused solely on the EFB and the supposed position of the other aircraft. Pilots must therefore learn how to use electronic visibility safely. However, the FOCA, EASA, and UK CAA see e-conspicuity as an opportunity for a major safety gain.

Tips for dealing with electronic visibility

Strategic determination of the flight route:
The flight route should be determined geographically or temporally in such a way that hot spots with heavy traffic can be avoided.

Solid flight planning on the ground instead of “head-down navigation” in flight:
Based on solid flight planning on the ground, a route is flown in the planned time, speed, direction, and altitude. During the flight, the focus is on monitoring the airspace.

Looking out for traffic: Visual traffic scanning remains the most important safety net.
The support of an EFB enables situational awareness. Seeing and avoiding other aircraft remains a visual task, which would not change even with 100% e-conspicuity.

Relevance of EFB traffic:
The human eye can detect other air traffic at a distance of approximately 3 nm. The visual scan of the immediate surroundings must not be distracted by “distant traffic” on the EFB. Traffic reports via audio: Many headsets and intercoms are now Bluetooth-enabled. It is therefore advisable to have the EFB’s traffic reports output via audio.