See and Avoid was yesterday - the future is e-Conspicuity
In basic flight training, the principle of "See, Sense and Avoid" central. Pilots must actively monitor the airspace, recognise the flight paths of others and avoid potential conflicts at an early stage by taking evasive manoeuvres. However, this principle is increasingly reaching its limits - especially in airspace as complex and densely used as that of Switzerland.
Modern technologies offer the opportunity to optimise airspace electronically transparent to make. This concept is known as "e-Conspicuity" (electronic visibility). The idea: Aircraft continuously transmit position data that can be received and displayed by other aircraft and ground stations. This is intended to supplement conventional visualisation methods with electronic aids and potentially make them safer.
Challenging airspace requires new solutions
The geographical and structural conditions in Switzerland make this development particularly urgent:
- Round 60 % of the country's surface area consists of Alpine and Jura mountainswith narrow valleys and complex meteorology.
- Swiss airspace is controlled by numerous, very different user groups claimed: Airliners, private jets, helicopters, gliders and motorised aircraft, paragliders, balloons, parachutists and increasingly Drones.
- The number of reported airspace violations and near misses reached a record level in 2024.
The consequence: traditional means of traffic avoidance are reaching their limits - electronic support is becoming indispensable.
Previous technological diversity - but hardly any interoperability
Numerous electronic visibility systems are already in use today:
- Transponder Mode S / SSR (secondary radar response unit with 1090 MHz)
- ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast)
- FLARM / PowerFLARM (mainly used in gliders and motorised aircraft)
- FANET / FANET+ (especially for light, unmanned systems)
- Smartphone-based solutions like SafeSky or SkyDemon Beacon Mode
However, there is a central problem: The systems are only compatible with each other to a limited extent or not at all. What one pilot transmits, the other often cannot receive - depending on the device, antenna, frequency and software version.
FASST-CH project: Switzerland's digital airspace
With the project FASST-CH (Future Aviation Surveillance Services and Technologies in Switzerland), which was initiated by the FOCA in 2022, aims to solve this problem. The aim is to, a fully integrated airspace surveillance system by 2035 that takes into account all airspace users - including those with limited budgets and technical equipment.
The key points of the project:
- Real-time access to airspace data: Pilots and air traffic control receive a joint, up-to-date air situation picture.
- Interoperability of all systems: Existing devices are to be made compatible in future through software updates.
- Open standards: ADS-B out (1090 MHz) and ADS-L (860 MHz) are considered the technical basis.
- Expansion through new technologies: Cloud services, VDL modems, satellite navigation and the mobile phone network are to be integrated.
The goal: Uniform visibility of all aircraftregardless of the system or device type used - be it an Airbus A320 or a paraglider with a smartphone.
Compulsory equipment and support for owners
The FOCA makes clear recommendations on equipment:
- ADS-B out (1090 MHz): for certified, larger aircraft with mandatory transponders
- ADS-L (860 MHz): for portable or permanently installed devices in general aviation, including gliders and UL aircraft
Pilots and owners should equip their aircraft accordingly. Where necessary, a Special financing for air transport Support is offered - especially for measures that Increasing flight safety serve. Funding is provided by the Swiss Aviation Infrastructure Fund System (Luftfahrt-FIS), which provides earmarked funds for innovation and safety.
European embedding: What is the situation in Germany?
Other countries are also pursuing similar goals. In Germany, there are currently several Test projects and pilot projectsThe development of a standardised, interoperable system for all non-public air traffic is still a long way off, for example to integrate drones into manned airspace (U-space, DFS Droniq), to promote ADS-B out in visual flight or to further develop transponder technologies. However, a standardised, interoperable system for all non-commercial air traffic is still a long way off. not in sight.
Switzerland could thus become a European Model project comparable with the already comprehensive Mode-S transponder mandate in the United Kingdomwhich, however, met with some criticism in the GA.
Conclusion: the sky is going digital - and safer
With FASST-CH, Switzerland is driving forward a forward-looking concept: an airspace in which all aircraft can not only see each other, but also recognise each other digitally. The basis for this are interoperable systems, open standards and clear specifications for manufacturers and operators.
Electronic visibility will no longer be optional in futurebut a key safety feature in general aviation - especially in complex airspaces such as the Alps. What still appears to be a technological vision today will become reality in Switzerland by 2035.
For everyone who flies - and for everyone who wants to arrive safely.
Source references:
Aerotelegraph