Degrees of Separation

Founded in 2015 with the mission of advancing the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS), Montana-based uAvionix develops small, light, affordable ADS-B transponders. A fundamental aspect of the company’s mission is the facilitation of common situational awareness to all aircraft within a given airspace.

In furtherance of its stated aims, uAvionix has announced its participation in a U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) endorsed, large-scale trial that will assess whether and to what degree ground-based ADS-B obstruction beacons enhance the safety of glider, hang-gliding, paragliding, and model-flying operations within airspace frequented by conventional aircraft. Subject trials will commence in the autumn of 2022 at various sites throughout the United Kingdom under the auspices of the CAA’s Airspace Modernization Strategy (AMS).

Collision risks associated with overflight of winch-launch gliding sites are well known to sailplane operators and aviation regulatory agencies; yet such incidents continue to transpire. By utilizing the 978-Mhz spectrum—commonly used in the USA as a secondary ADS-B frequency and for Traffic Information System Broadcast (TIS-B) and Flight Information System Broadcast (FIS-B)—the U.K. CAA seeks to implement measures conducive to the mitigation of collision risk among aerial vehicles, both manned and unmanned, currently outside the purview of regulatorily mandated ADS-B aircraft operations.

uAvionix will support the CAA trials by providing purpose-built powered obstruction beacons that will be placed at 13 sites throughout the UK, thereby allowing the sites to be visualized, when operational, on any Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) utilizing ADS-B IN devices. The obstruction beacons will be switched on and broadcast only when flying activities are underway at the participating club sites. The trials are a collaboration between uAvionix, the CAA, the association head office and member clubs of the British Gliding Association (BGA), the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA), and the British Model Flying Association & Large Model Association (BMFA & LMA).

U.K. Civil Aviation Authority head of airspace modernization Stuart Lindsey states: “The trial of functionality such as ADS-B Obstruction Beacons helps us understand and evaluate the benefits of deploying digital Flight Information Services as part of the Airspace Modernization Strategy. We are pleased to fund this trial via the Airspace Modernization Strategy Support Fund (AMSSF) and that uAvionix have chosen to work with some of our key General Aviation stakeholders to improve the promulgation and awareness of their activities at the trial locations, to deliver a safety benefit.”

For purpose of enhancing situational awareness and safety, suitably equipped general aviation aircraft flying within the vicinity of the test beacons will be alerted in real-time to proximal glider, hang-glider, and model aircraft aerial activities. The project will solicit feedback from all relevant stakeholders through the uAvionix website, where future updates will be posted.

FMI: www.uavionix.com/projects/UKObsBeacon