Something to look forward to

[Admin]

Here we go with the start of mandatory transponders:

 

Australian researchers are preparing to demonstrate by year-end an automated separation management system (ASMS) they hope will allow manned and unmanned...

 

Tech: UAV airspace sharing moves forward with Australia's SmartSkies project - Recreational Flying

 

 

[riverduk]

Hey fantastic! just wondering where all that fancy gear is going to fit on my trike, guess I will just have to come to terms with it being an unmanned aircraft that I can watch flying around having fun on it's own.

 

Not that I will ever really need this stuff,

 

my tree avoidance system is simple, fly over them not through them,

 

my aircraft avoidance system a little more complex, I have a really good look, right, center, left, then maneuver, has worked fine so far.

 

Seriously though, anything that makes flying safer for the masses in their big trans continental flights has got to be a good thing really, as long as they don't see it as a way to stop the little guy going for a fly just for the fun of it, because after all, isn't that what it's all about ?

 

Happy flying, safe skies and tail winds, cheers Rosco

 

 

[wags]

Mandatory Transponders?

 

Ian,

 

Can you explain how you see Transponders becoming mandatory after reading the article you posted a link to?

 

I fail to see the connection other than research is being conducted to allow UAV's to operate and avoid automatically. Nowhere in the article does it mention Transponders being used.

 

Maybe I'm missing something.

 

 

[Admin]

To me personally I see with the introduction of more and more UAVs in our skies, the risks will increase on potential mid airs. This technology uses different means to alert the UAV to steer away but like everything and especially with avionics it is not fail safe.

 

There was a recent case where a UAV decided to go on its own merry way and the only thing they could do was to use the air force to blow it out of the sky.

 

We have also heard so often about the potential of GPS drop outs, radio failure experiences and other technology breakdowns. Imagine if the UAV instead of steering away actually gets it wrong and steered towards you or into the path of another aircraft.

 

On the other side of the coin I see it as another step towards the mandating of transponders and TCAS systems in every aircraft with the argument that this technology is now available so let's have it in all aircraft just to be sure.

 

Note: My personal opinion on whether mandatory transponders, TCAS or PCAS, mandatory radio etc should or shouldn't be has no relevance on the above.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Just a quick question guys- How many UAV,s are we talking about?. I mean my most concern with flying is a midair, i scan all the time. I had a near miss with a mooney years ago, it shook me up abit,(we were communicating with each other, we new we where close to each other, and looking out for each other).The weather was hazy at the time. He saw me first, comming from my eight oclock position,(behind my left shoulder, he a peeled away to his left to give us space.This was over nth stradbroke, very busy for a/c.Anyway as i have mentioned before he landed wheels up at archerfield, just after i landed the poor fellow. Anyway, we where close, we were talking to each other, what happens if a UAV as Ian has dissused, turns toward me instead of turning away, i mean i cant just hop on the radio and talk to it. Can i, or do the UAV operator montintors the same frequency ?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

autonimous operating drones. drop in a mission profile and push go.

 

What was that in the proposed test? 50 uav's in a ten mile area. sounds scary but they will be possibly small scale and low speed. going to be ridiculus if now we have drones competing for our already shinking 'recreational' airspace. every man and his dog will want one. Imagine a small ducted version moving around at 40 ft or so recording vehicle details and issueing parking fines.

 

with todays digital age the potential capabilities of anything, doing whatever, at any time or place on any mission will not surprise me. But it just ain't going to happen in the lazair.

 

i wonder how many generations into the future where it will be considered 'retro' to operate a machine manually, just for fun.

 

ozzie