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The European GNSS Agency (GSA) was once again at the AERO International General Aviation Fair at Friedrichshafen, Germany emphasising the advantages that European GNSS can bring to all general aviation users and, effectively, changing the way they fly.

This 27th edition of the international aviation exhibition saw a record number of visitors with over 32 000 attendees from around the world. The GSA was present with a stand in the main exhibition hall and contributed a number of presentations to capacity audiences.

The GSA’s first speaking contribution was as part of the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) update session on its roadmap for general aviation. The session outlined the achievements of the General Aviation Roadmap so far, and described the exciting activities ahead to develop the next phase: the EASA GA Roadmap 2.0.

Recently appointed EASA Certification Director Rachel Daeschler and a range of speakers from the European Commission and other stakeholders presented the latest successes and the path forward. EASA underlined its continued commitment to making general aviation easier and safer by embracing innovation and affordability. EASA’s new Basic Regulation for General Aviation, adopted last year, allows for much greater flexibility across the sector.

EGNOS increasing safety for general aviation

Katerina Strelcova from the GSA described the Agency’s work on the development of safety promotional material on the implementation of GNSS-based Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) for General Aviation. This was coordinated by EASA and other stakeholders and is intended to be published under the EASA Safety Promotion – Safety Together initiative. This document provides an assessment of the existing regulatory framework and a complete analysis of current enablers, and shares best practices that can facilitate implementation of IFP.

Satellite technologies, such as EGNOS, can in effect implement an instrument approach to a small field. Bringing more IFP into general aviation will increase safety in Europe, which is the ultimate objective of EASA. The document will be available soon and should be considered as an initial step, with further and fuller guidance in the pipeline, including on how to tackle specific areas of implementation.

Changing how we fly

In addition to the contribution to the EASA event, the GSA organised a dedicated session on satellite navigation for general aviation on 12 April that attracted a full room of participants.

The current status of European GNSS (EGNOS and Galileo), how it is contributing to landing, surveillance and Search and Rescue operations, and actions targeting every aviation user were highlighted at the session. Easier access to instrument flight rules for general aviation through the use of EGNOS and localiser performance with vertical guidance (LPV) was described by Julian Scarfe, deputy chairman of PPL/IR – Europe, the leading group for private pilots across Europe interested in instrument flying. He said: "Today we have EGNOS that can enable vertical approaches to non-instrument runways. The GSA is running a project to enable this. This will change the way we fly."

Other speakers in the session were Martin Robinson, CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), who described aircraft tracking for general aviation and Philip Church, director of engineering consultancy Helios, who talked about ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance—Broadcast), a surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position using satellite navigation technologies and periodically broadcasts its location, thereby enabling accurate tracking.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) together with air traffic management organisation EUROCONTROL jointly organised the 16th meeting of the RNP Approach Implementation Support Group (RAISG) together with the Aviation Grants programme workshop at the GSA’s Prague headquarters.

The two-day meeting featured an interesting blend of presentations and roundtable discussions focused on required navigation performance (RNP) approach implementation and sharing experience and project implementation of different GSA co-funded aviation projects fostering EGNOS adoption in aviation. As of March 2019, 617 EGNOS-based approach procedures are operational at 326 airports in 23 countries, of which 324 procedures are localiser performance with vertical guidance (LPV) and 169 are LPV-200.

The meeting, which was organised within the context of a Framework Partnership Agreement between EUROCONTROL and the GSA, attracted 90 participants from various backgrounds, including National Air Navigation Service Providers and authorities, civil and military aircraft operators, pilots, international aviation associations, equipment manufacturers and rotorcraft.

Watch this: EGNOS for Aviation

Success stories

The first day of the meeting was devoted to the Aviation Grant Programme, the GSA’s funding tool designed to foster EGNOS adoption in aviation. Through the various success stories of GSA-funded projects, the participants had the opportunity to exchange best practices, discuss the specificities of RNP approach implementation in different countries and equipping the European fleet with EGNOS.

The GSA established its Aviation Grants Programme in 2014 to promote EGNOS operational implementation and stimulate EGNOS adoption in aviation. There was a significant increase in demand from applicants in the last call and, so far, it has awarded 42 projects with a total budget of EUR 22 million.

Thanks to the Programme, more than 100 LPV procedures have been implemented and more than 50 EGNOS-enabled aircraft are operating in Europe. The Grants Programme will soon be responsible for an additional 60 EGNOS-based LPV approaches at European airports and another 70 EGNOS equipped aircraft (including 20 rotorcraft), thereby making a significant contribution to increasing safety and accessibility in the aviation sector and boosting the EGNOS based network in Europe.

Improving accessibility

Since 2014, EUROCONTROL and the GSA have worked together to develop advanced systems and operations for aviation-based space technology, contributing jointly to Europe’s GNSS policies. In particular, they are focused on improving airport accessibility, aviation efficiency and air traffic management capacity, while also reducing safety risks. “The success of the previous RAISG meeting in Prague in 2016 encouraged us to renew this organisation as part of our collaboration with EUROCONTROL,” said Fiammetta Diani, GSA Head of Market Development.

Read this: Getting ready for the evolution of EGNOS

As part of the agreement, EUROCONTROL and the GSA also aim to coordinate aviation research and development (R&D), standardise aviation regulations and monitor aviation-specific GNSS performance, while supporting the uptake of EGNSS for aviation at the international level. In addition, in July 2018, the EC published the PBN regulation, mandating RNP approaches to all instrument runway ends with two milestones: 2020 and 2024. These approaches will implement the three minima (LNAV, LNAV/VNAV and LPV), so there will be EGNOS approaches in all airports by that date. The GSA is working together with EC, EUROCONTROL, EASA and SDM to facilitate implementation in airports and aircraft.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).