UK CAA – Call for evidence: Electronic Conspicuity Solutions

UK CAA – Call for evidence: Electronic Conspicuity Solutions

Well blow me down, not 24 hours after I release a video underlining the Electronic Conspicuity devices that I will permit at Vertiport Africa, the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK also seeks answers.

Electronic conspicuity is in some ways another way of saying remote ID. Not exactly the same but surely we won’t end up flying drones with multiple transponders?

Many folks are not really interested safety, but rather selling you their propitiatory device to make you pop up on the screen of law enforcement or air traffic control.

Future Airspace

Electronic conspicuity (EC) is one of the most important airspace modernisation initiatives because of its potential to unlock safety benefits and save lives by reducing the likelihood of infringements and mid-air collisions. 

By ensuring the full adoption of EC solutions in targeted blocks of airspace to enhance situational awareness, the aviation sector can transform its approach to integrating different types of operation and lay the foundations for new users like unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to operate far more extensively than they do today. 

Full adoption means 100% of users operating in a designated block of can be detected electronically to the required levels of accuracy and reliability.

Call for evidence

This document is a call for evidence that describes our suggested approach to coordinating the full adoption of EC solutions in targeted blocks of airspace and aims to test whether: 

  • The suggested approach is correct;
  • We are looking at the right issues and options; and
  • The right stakeholders are engaged.

The approach focuses on targeting blocks of airspace where EC solutions can solve a clearly identifiable problem and have the greatest potential to deliver benefits. We expect the transition to full adoption of EC solutions across all areas of UK airspace to be the eventual conclusion of this targeted approach, as the cumulative benefits of shared situational awareness are realised and the market for more advanced and cost-effective solutions matures.

We expect that the full adoption of EC solutions will be delivered and funded by a range of organisations, and a wide mix of stakeholders will need to be engaged in the process. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the approach we follow is coherent, balanced and gives rise to the expected benefits. This call for evidence is your opportunity to help shape the approach and we look forward to working with you.

How to respond

We would like stakeholders to consider the suggested approach that is set out in this document (and summarised in short form here) then provide their responses to six core questions.

Call for evidence

Call for evidence questions

Gary Mortimer

Founder and Editor of sUAS News | Gary Mortimer has been a commercial balloon pilot for 25 years and also flies full-size helicopters. Prior to that, he made tea and coffee in air traffic control towers across the UK as a member of the Royal Air Force.