The EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) organized an online workshop on 23 February 2022 to present iConspicuity. The iConspicuity roadmap, i.e. the further integrative approach with manned and unmanned air traffic, was also defined there.

What exactly is iConspicuity?

iConspicuity stands for increased conspicuity, which, translated into German, means increased conspicuousness. It refers to the state of being clearly recognizable and informed.

The iConspicuity includes the most important information for the pilot of the various drones. In addition to general flight information and information on the weather, this explicitly describes the position of other flying objects in the vicinity. This information provides the remote pilot with particularly good support before and during the flight.

Why is iConspicuity being introduced?

In the past 10 years, there have been many collisions and accidents in uncontrolled air traffic. These were mainly small flying objects, resulting in a tragic 137 fatalities (in the 2009-2019 recording period). In addition, a further 60 collisions were fatal.

In order to reduce these figures, pilots should be better informed in future. The iConspicuity is designed to help with this by enabling other flight participants to be recognized more clearly. The pilot is thus optimally prepared for the flight and possible dangerous situations in the vicinity. This enables much safer air traffic.

Who is affected by the new procedure?

EASA envisages general air traffic (GA community), helicopter traffic (rotorcraft community) and other users participating in previously uncontrolled traffic for the measures under the idea of "iConspicuity". Furthermore, from January 2023, all unmanned aircraft operating in U-Space are to be made electronically visible and supported by a U-Space Service Provider (USSP).

The Bremen-based IT service provider b.r.m. is preparing to become a USSP. The company is using its GDPR-compliant green IT data center for this purpose. In addition, employees Markus Rossol and Maximilian Strauß have specialized in the area of current and future drone traffic. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

With its associations and companies such as AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V., the state of Bremen is a world leader in aerospace. This is ensured by leading industrial companies and their suppliers, among others.

AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V. - an aviation cluster

AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V. is a network and representative for manufacturers of aerospace components. It has been commissioned by the Senator for Economics, Labor and Europe to implement aerospace strategies in the federal state of Bremen. The association's challenge is to strengthen and further develop the aerospace industry together with other important sectors such as the automotive industry and wind energy.

Main topics AVIASPACE BREMEN e.V.

However, the Bremen cluster has also addressed essential topics such as the formation of networks, technology transfer and economic growth. In addition, the association promotes young entrepreneurs and start-ups by clarifying the organizational and technical networking of end producers, suppliers or services. Furthermore, it provides access and contacts to scientific institutions at the various stages of the product cycle. This also applies to the competence areas of material development, high lift, construction, manufacturing technology, earth observation and robotics.

What does b.r.m. have to do with it?

Thanks to the new "Hatten-UAS" airfield for unmanned aerial systems at Oldenburg-Hatten EDWH airfield, b.r.m. has already prepared itself for future air traffic. In the course of this, the employees Markus Rossol and Maximilian Strauß have specialized in this as UAS Consultant and Senior Aerotechnical Consultant.

Bremen-based IT service provider b.r.m. is a new member of the association and is joining the cluster strategy. Networking is an important element in the development of new tasks and innovations.

March 20th marks the beginning of spring in the meteorological sense. Birds, bees and other insects will soon begin to roam our skies, but not only them. Drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have already become part of the airspace, not only as a hobby for RC enthusiasts, but also for the U-Space Service Provider b.r.m. .

The EASA has been working for some time on the cornerstones for coordinating civil drone aviation throughout the EU. To this end, the establishment of a new airspace, the so-called U-Space, is being prepared. Alongside other airspaces (such as the Gulf), U-Space is intended to enable manned and unmanned aviation to coexist.

U-Space - space for drones

A separate airspace just for drones is a difficult undertaking. After all, all aircraft have to land and take off, and any risk of collision must of course be avoided at an early stage, especially over conurbations. For this reason, the current concept of U-Space is designed to cause as little inconvenience as possible to other manned aircraft. The drones should register with a corresponding U-Space Service Provider (USSP) in the established U-Space and thus receive information on traffic information and other services that are necessary for safe operation. EASA is currently in the discovery phase in order to include transponder-free flight participants. Under the term iConspicuity, existing technologies such as ADS or Mobile are to be used to make every flight participant a conspicuity. This information can then be used to avoid a dangerous approach in advance.

What is a U-Space Service Provider?

The USSP (U-Space Service Provider) will be used at the interface between unmanned and manned space flight. It will provide various services to enable drone operators to navigate safely through U-Space. The core tasks will be the processing of "flight authorization" and "strategic de-confliction". Strategic de-confliction ensures that the submitted flight plan is checked for conflicts in the airspace.

There will of course be a service for registering the drones so that both the USSP and the authorities can access the status of the UAV. In addition to the relevant traffic information, consideration is also being given to which other services are useful for drone operators.

Outlook 2022 - What we can expect

Before the end of the first half of this year, the EASA intends to issue regulations on how the "iConspicuity" visualization of manned aircraft can be implemented in a meaningful way without introducing additional equipment or even a transponder requirement. We would then be a good deal closer to the permanent establishment of U-Space and civil drone traffic would already be within reach.

In the meantime, the UAS/UAV test center is being further expanded at the Oldenburg-Hatten airfield. Take a look at our current VTOL EGM project and visit the website of our project partner Optoprecision.