Martin Robinson CEO AOPA UK Deputy Vice President IAOPA Europe Airspace Infringements Workshop Eurocontrol 24 th January 2008
In 1964 IAOPA was accepted as the sole general aviation observer to ICAO proceedings, a distinction the organization maintains to this day.
International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (Europe) IAOPA Europe is made up of 33 memberstates nearly half of the global IAOPA membership by country We have 470,000 members worldwide www.iaopa-eur.org/
REPRESENTATION Now representing pilots and aircraft operators in 67 ICAO memberstates, IAOPA and its affiliates work to: promote and protect general aviation; and aerial work operations in the following areas: Revise the world airspace classification system to provide for general aviation operations. Restructure and improve the ICAO pilot licensing requirements. Permit VFR and mixed VFR-IFR operations within controlled airspace. Help plan the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) to the advantage of general aviation. Educate worldwide aviation bodies about general aviation and aerial work activities. Eliminate restrictions prohibiting the use of airports and airspace.
In the 1930 s s the Tiger Month was the Cirrus of its day. Yet both these types still operate in our airspace, both have similar yet different demands from the pilots who fly them.
Communicate and Educate all parts of the system The report produced by Alexander and his team is an excellent first approach on the subject of airspace infringements and we congratulate him and his team. Therefore the aim of this presentation is not to discuss the report in detail but to consider what action needs to be put in place to reduce the current levels of airspace violations or infringements
What we know is that 80% of infringements are made by GA. Given that GA in many parts of Europe hemmed in by the amount of controlled airspace it is not surprising that there are high levels of infringements the vast majority of which actually go unreported- when CAS is developed there is little consideration for the other airspace users who operate outside of CAS or of the impact that changing vertical and horizontal boundaries can have on other airspace users namely GA - what the report needs to consider is the number of infringements in relation to the numbers of GA aircraft and hours flown.
First things first To assist in that goal of reducing the number of infringements we need accurate data on GA activity across Europe an area in which ECAC has undertaken some work. Eurocontrol should encouraged ECAC to complete its task. NO one can say with any real degree of accuracy how many hours are flown by GA each year in Europe but we do know that the number of GA aircraft out number the CAT aircraft by about 5:1
Causal factors The report discusses many of the causal factors surrounding airspace infringements: Airspace design Pilot Navigation error Poor flight planning etc etc All of these causal factored need further examination to see where improvements could be made-
An infringement can generally be put down to: Navigation errors and poor flight planning Either because of a: Lack of knowledge and / or skill; or Poor attitude (Lack of airmanship) Both need to be addressed in a future strategy.
Working together It should be the aim of all GA airspace users or to promote the highest level of airmanship to our members and non members alike. More importantly though is the need to all work together to reduce the number of infringements across Europe. It does not matter how many infringements there are as one is one too many. We must make infringements amongst our community as unacceptable as drinking and driving.
It maybe possible to deliver some short term benefits (Quick wins) Others items identified will need strategies to be developed in order to make further improvements- These future strategies will need the buy in from all stakeholders ANSP s, CAT, GA, & the Military. How much investment will be needed to achieve sustainable improvements?
How much will it cost? This sizeable invest will be worthwhile if the goal in reducing infringements is achieved- A staged approach will need to be considered with annual reduction targets linked to the strategy / road map. In the UK we have seen the number of infringements remain largely static whilst there are signs that the number of risk bearing infringements are reducing, This is encouraging but I think that the jury is out on this point until next autumn
We need to encourage GA pilots to use Mode Charlie However a UK report quotes that of the total number of infringements 15% cause loss of separation and potential airprox (risk of collision) If the total number of infringements continue to rise then so will the more serious infringements. GA pilots should be encouraged to use altitude reporting transponders as this gives Radar and TCAS/ACAS systems a better chance.
More by luck than judgement There needs to be a cultural change within GA across Europe in respect to how GA pilots use and share the airspace with other users. How will we achieve such changes? Are further studies are required? It is only by being critical of ourselves that will be able to begin b to change the current culture. This will be hard to achieve given the diversity of this sector (Gliders,Ultra lights,hang Gliders.VLJs?) However we must not take the report out of context as there are many GA flights each day and most them tend have successful out come. Like a marksman we need to focus on the key reasons for infringements and target them When you consider the volume of GA aircraft flying each week k in Europe we actually have very few mid air collisions. But is that more by luck than judgement? What is clear is the growth of CAT operations around traditional GA flying sites as well as the growth of CAT operation in class G airspace ( See and avoid)
Crime and punishment I have been dealing for the past 15 years with pilots who have infringed parts of the UK airspace system. I help these pilots through the process, the point at which they are required to give a formal statement (under a police caution) about what happened on their flight. Once all the evidence is gathered the CAA Aviation Regulation Enforcement (ARE) branch decides on a cause of action. It has always been the goal of AOPA UK to see less court action -where the fines just go into the legal system and expensive lawyers- and put the money in to the flight training system by sending the pilot back to flight school. The aero club is required to confirm that the additional training has been completed
Once action has been taken We know that there are very few repeat infringements. AOPA UK believes that only the very serious cases should go to court particularly those cases which are deemed dangerous or reckless and where the public interest is best served. Airspace infringements do not just happen to PPL s: Flight Instructors ATPL holders Even military pilots The danger area for private pilots in my experience is 500hrs plus guy
Airspace: There is a huge amount of work being done on airspace in order to t meet future capacity demands which is likely to mean that standards in GA will have to improve. This will require improvements in the basic flight training, particularly in the VFR navigation and flight planning section of the PPL and be demonstrated to a flight examiner. I personally question certain elements of the EASA proposal for f a Light Aircraft Pilots License or LAPL which seems to suggest that fewer training hours are required compared to the current JAA PPL. The main reason for my personal concern is that we are told by human factors experts that when any individual is placed under pressure (i.e. airspace violation) that they revert to their basic training. Therefore basic training needs to be robust. Only through high quality basic training can GA make the necessary improvements needed to meet the future demands of using Europe s s airspace. It will only take one accident between a GA aircraft and a CAT aircraft for huge regulatory / airspace restrictions to introduce. EASA must re think the LAPL.
The question though is the fact that thank fully there have been relatively few midair collisions in Europe seems to suggest that the current safety nets are working. My biggest concern is the growth in CAT in class G airspace which is technically see and avoid- If CAT operations wish to use class G then their operations should be set against a full risk assessment and on going SMS. It is totally un acceptable to us that CAT uses class G airspace the principle of which is see and avoid then moan that GA does not have transponders! Airspace regulators need to send clear messages to all airspace users- If the airspace is Golf and no transponder is required then CAT operations need to know this and vice versa
Single European Sky The SES / SESAR discussions also need to consider how a future ATM system will help to reduce infringements. GA wants a safer, more efficient airspace system in Europe and at lower costs We want improved access to airports and airspace We proportionality of regulation and user fees We do not want our operation restricted
General Aviation in Europe EC Vice President and Transport Commissioner Jacques Barot said on publication of the report: We fully recognise the value of non-commercial aviation and intend to work with this sector in Europe, as it is a large source of employment, expertise, technology and revenues.
Commission statement It goes on: European aerial works companies provide high-value specialised services, both in the Community and third countries. These range from map charting, off- shore services and construction works, pipeline patrolling and conservation, agricultural flights and environment surveillance to weather research, fire-fighting, fighting, TV-Live reporting, traffic surveillance and others. Recreational and sport aviation is one of the big sources of qualified aviation staff for airlines and supporting services. Many of the trainee pilots and engineers, after building the number of their hours in the air or in the hangar, subsequently move to work in the airline industry.
The vast majority of GA flights are not registered by Eurocontrol, it says, as they are conducted in non-controlled airspace. GA made some 15 million flights in Europe in 2005, of which about one million were handled by Eurocontrol, it says. Future discussions regarding airspace policy will need to take account of the fact that a significant percentage of general aviation traffic is relying not on instruments but on the see and avoid principle. Also, air traffic management policy has to recognized that many aircraft types cannot be technically or economically fitted with complex equipment.
Commission says: The report says that private aviation will continue to grow strongly, saying: Key factors contributing to this trend are: *Need for more mobility, flexibility and point-to to-point services *Increasing congestion of the main airports *Security constraints *Continuous efforts of enterprises and individuals to increase their t productivity gains *Development of new technologies which make aircraft more efficient and less costly. It goes on: General and business aviation provides specific social and economic benefits. (It) provides closely tailored, flexible, door-to to-door transport for individuals, enterprises, and local communities, increasing mobility of people, productivity of businesses and regional cohesion.
Summary: We want to see a collaborative arrangements developed by Eurocontrol that delivers a strategic plan for the reduction of airspace infringements in Europe. There should be a Action plan detailing how the strategic plan will be delivered. This collaborative arrangement will need the buy in from ANSP s- CAT-GA and the Military. This will require funding Eurocontrol should develop a task force to look into where small changes could be made that would produce quick wins. Such as getting GA pilots to use mode CHARLIE where ever it is installed In addition it would be worthwhile investigating where best practice exists and promoting this to other parts of Europe.
Communication and Education needs to be part of the strategy this needs to be promoted across the aviation community - from GA pilots to ATCO s s and ATPL s s to Military pilots. We need to look at technology what additional benefits can be gained from Mode-s s and TIS. Interoperability is the only solution in key parts of the current system i.e. where GA comes into contact with CAT operations, however GA needs low cost, low powered light weight single step solutions which means until that time airspace will need to be segregated Investment in tackling infringements will be required but results should bring system wide safety benefits for all airspace users. Doing nothing is not an option
Thank you