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Newsgroup: rec.aviation.soaring
Subject: UK Mode S. Our response is required
Author: Ian Strachan
Date/Time: 13:20 07 August 2006
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On the general matter of aircraft location and proximity warning
systems, radar is essentially a product of World War II technology
whereas ADS-B is the future. ADS-B will provide air traffic controllers
and pilots with much more accurate information that will help keep
aircraft safely separated.

Those words come not from me, but from the US FAA.

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The CAA mode S consultation, does look at the possibility of making Mode
S transponders, ADS future-proof as one option. However the CAA does not
go into much detail on this matter. Other than to identify costs without
a proven techonogical solution.

The CAA document seems to dismiss FLARM, a glider-glider GPS-based
anti-collision device out of hand, although the apparent prime objective
of the consultation is to allow unrestricted commercial traffic access
to class G airspace, sorry I meant collision-avoidance.

The CAA document does not even discuss other GPS-tracking options
already available eg the LX tracker. This has been used in several
gliding world championships and was used by 10 out of 40 gliders in
Euroglide this year.

See

http://www.euroglide.nl/news.html#itin

And

http://www.lxtrack.si/online/online-tracking/

Why should the CAA review the technology and benefits properly, if the
consultation is just a smoke-screen?

Rory