EUROCONTROL’s Headquarters and Virtual
Lecture
The Brussels Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society invites you to an address on HIS (Hearing or Speaking Impaired) Pilots
at EUROCONTROL’s Headquarters and webinar on Monday, 14 March 2022 at 18h00.
FANS4ALL Association: a French charitable and non-profit organization caring for HSI (Hearing or Speaking Impaired) pilots
What? FANS4all is a scientific and operational research program aiming at defining conditions under which an HSI pilot could fly alone in a light airplane in airspaces where contact with an air traffic control service (tower or else) is mandatory.
Why? In France, and even further in Europe, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals allowing HSI pilots to pilot light aircrafts in controlled airspace has become more and more difficult. Thesize and extension of G-class (un-controlled) airspace has also been dramatically reduced, especially around cities. The only existing and certified procedure for flying an aircraft in controlled airspace without radio is the “radio failure” procedure based on light signals but it creates very high constraints for air control. Close to one century ago, Air Traffic Control and associated medical standards for pilots and controllers have been built on voice/radio procedures. Today we consider these procedures and standards can benefit from modern technological advancements allowing Air Traffic Control to be deployed in new ways.
How? By developing a bidirectional ground-air communication system which integrates data exchange via perceptive channels other than sound, adapted for VFR cruise flight (en-route) as well as for departures, arrivals and landing of light aircraft. This system will capitalize on the existing CPDLC (controller-pilot data-link communication) part of FANS (Future Air Navigation Standard) which has been developed by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) since 1983. CPDLC was until now reserved for commercial airliners and business jets and deployed only for en-route operations in specific areas: North Atlantic and Pacific oceanic routes or test programs such as SESAR (Europe) or NextGen (USA).
By supporting current plans for generally decreasing voice exchanges for general aviation and integrating unmanned (speechless) air vehicles, FANS4all operational and scientific research program comes at the right moment, therefore demonstrating that caring for persons with special needs can foster innovation for society as a whole.
Venue: EUROCONTROL HQ
Talk will be streamed over the internet. Link will be provided post-registration.
Registered participants may be able to attend the talk in person (Eurocontrol HQ), subject to any COVID-restrictions then in place.
The event is free of charge
Security: Please note that no minors under the age of 18 or unregistered participants will be allowed to enter EUROCONTROL.