search results

TCAS, ADS-B, FLARM...Doesn't that sound like a lot to you? Then read our article and find out more about collision avoidance.

We had another busy but exciting month! Want to know more about it? Check out our most recent newsletter, which in particular reports on the following activities: 2022 General Aviation Day: a particularly instructive day with many of Europe's key public and private players in the general aviation industry Our Roadshow to Spain: a tribute to our Spanish users and partners Meet & Greet Alex Bagouet: an inspiring interview with our Spanish representative and your opportunity to share your feedback on SafeSky Flying puts a smile on a child's face: a wonderful co-initiative from SafeSky allowing impaired children to experience the joy of flight Even more support for you: our FAQ extended to answer all your questions Premium Discount: your last chance to take advantage of our "after summer" promotion Enjoy reading!

Egelsbach Airport (EDFE), Germany, 18th of October 2022. On October 18, 2022, more than 25 representatives from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) travelled to Egelsbach to spend the day on learning more about General Aviation (GA) in Europe. Organised by the world’s leading manufacturer association GAMA and the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations IAOPA, this unique event was an opportunity to exchange on the general aviation challenges, such as flight standards, GA community and Safety promotion. The SafeSky team was present to explain the limitations of VFR flying in 2022, and the need for all pilots – including paramotors, paragliders, trikes, ultra-lights and GA – to become visible to one another. This is particularly true at low airspace (below 5,000 feet AGL), where we share the same sky after all. Three key topics have been discussed with EASA on Safety: acknowledge that today there is no single technical solution that can depict a correct picture to pilots of what is flying in the sky. Therefore, inter-operability of systems is essential and must be promoted to pilots; too little aircraft are today eConspicuous, and near air-misses are an everyday reality in Europe for GA pilots; Search and Rescue: in Europe, it takes on average 4 hours to find a missing plane. Why not bring all stakeholders around the table (SAR, EASA, military) and develop a secure portal that provides SafeSky passive tracking information as such saving precious location and survival time? The SafeSky team demonstrated the possibilities of our app, explaining that it can be used with just a mobile phone with little limitations. Thanks to inter-operability and combined with an external radio receiver, pilots are lifting these limitations and can have a much completer picture of other pilots flying in the vicinity. We anticipate that EASA will continue working with SafeSky to increase safety through joint initiatives and campaigns, enabling all of us to realise our dream of making space the safest place on Earth 🌎. Organisations supporting this event:

The SafeSky development team has not been idle since the recent Mondial de l'ULM. Like previous year, we carefully considered your feedback and gleaned knowledge from it. You will undoubtedly like the new version that has been produced as a result, which includes some fixes, improvements, and new features. In addition to being SafeSky users, we also consider you as partners in the creation and growth of SafeSky so that together we continuously increase everyone's safety. Please do not hesitate to send us your feedback and program enhancement ideas (forum or info@safesky.app). A big thanks in advance. Version 2.07 - new or improved features FREE & PREMIUM version Option to activate/deactivate display of your flying fellow pilots avatars on the map Automatic proposal of your hexadecimal transponder code when encoding call sign New, streamlined "Settings" page PREMIUM version SkyTraxx users can see the entire SafeSky traffic Optimised wind display (zoom/size) Improved weather information display

SafeSky takes its mission of making the sky the safest place on earth very serious. Not only for pilots, but also for their passengers. To do so, we actively support initiatives that advocate safety, joy, and inspiration of our rich aviation heritage across all generations and individuals. As part of that ambition, today we are pleased to announce our partnership with Aviació Adaptada. Aviació Adaptada’s mission Spanish non-governmental organisation Aviació Adaptada strives for equality and inclusion for all people. Allowing disabled persons to have the same opportunities in the realm of sport and leisure is one of their main areas of attention. To accomplish this, among many other things, each year they organise a social flying event. Thanks to over 100 volunteers, including 40 pilots, more than 130 disabled person can experience the joy of flight in 25 different types of aircraft (motor planes, autogiros, Trikes, and Gliders).. This year, this event will take place on October 1. Over 500 visitors are expected, with presence of TV and other media. There is also a YouTube channel that covers this event. SafeSky’s support As we have done for several other significant flying events, SafeSky will support the organisation by making our Premium app available to all 40 participating pilots. This will increase visibility and thus safety for pilots, passengers, and the organisation, as has been experienced in other events. Additionally, the experience will be even more inclusive because of our live traffic sharing, which will allow friends and family to follow the flight experience in real time on large displays. Finally, Aviació Adaptada has chosen to use the accessible flight logs in the Premium plan for flight debriefing with the pilots. As such SafeSky will not only contribute to the event’s safety, but is also used for educational purposes, a role we take equally seriously. SafeSky in Spain Without Aviació Adaptada’s trust but also Alex Bagouet’ support, this incredible partnership would not have been possible. Alex is a commercial pilot (ATPL) and general aviation pilot, and has been a SafeSky supporter since the very beginning. Initially as a beta tester, and currently as SafeSky's representative in Spain. We are overjoyed to have Alex on board and are incredibly grateful to him for all the outstanding work he has done to support and instruct pilots in Spain. Visit Aviació Adaptada's website to keep up with this fantastic project and witness how our joint efforts will give safe wings to 130 amazing people.

For the second year in a row, Microlight instructor Edwin Bibauw has taken his family to Mauritius, in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Edwin took the opportunity to do some sightseeing flights on microlights (on behalf of Lagoon Flight) and to promote the use of SafeSky within the small community of pilots on the island. Edwin, why is the SafeSky app useful during these flights? Edwin B: The problem with tourist flights is that pilots focus on certain notable viewpoints on the island. This generates a lot of traffic in small areas where each pilot concentrates on getting the best view for his passengers. Until now, safety was assured by the simple "see and avoid" rule and the use of a self-info frequency in uncontrolled areas. This frequency was well used, but its effectiveness depended solely on the quality and frequency of the announcements made by each pilot. In addition, some users do not have access to the radio (paragliders) and are difficult to see. Therefore, the use of SafeSky became obvious. It is an effective complement to the "see and avoid" rule as it allows to anticipate the presence of other aircraft and to follow their vertical evolution. Not all traffic will be visible, nor will the air traffic controller alert you to all potentially conflicting traffic, for various reasons (lack of radar, use of transponders, etc.), but in any case it is important to keep looking outside. What is the quality of the mobile network in Mauritius? Edwin B: SafeSky worked without any problem up to about 2,500 ft. We never flew beyond that because of the approach areas to Mauritius airport. You can really count on very good mobile coverage throughout the island. How did the other pilots appreciate SafeSky? They had already heard about the app and I asked the SafeSky team to make it available on the Mauritian store. After the first tests on site, they were blown away by its accuracy and efficiency. They were so enthusiastic about it that they invested in tablets to be left permanently in the aircraft in order to impose the rigorous and systematic use of SafeSky within the company. However, I had not anticipated that most of the island's pilots come from other countries where the app is not necessarily available yet (SafeSky can only be downloaded from the European stores, for the moment). We had to find solutions to be able to install it on everybody’s device. In addition, a meeting is scheduled soon to extend the use to the whole island's pilot community, including paragliders. Do you use it for your flights in Belgium? Edwin B.: I use it for the majority of my instructor flights and all of my private trips. I feel like I'm driving without a seatbelt when I don't have it. I instruct my students to turn it on and put their phones away while we are in teaching mode. By doing this, we can be seen by other pilots and educate the students about the importance of traffic detection. Future pilots should be trained with a strong emphasis on traffic awareness. Towards the end of their training, when we leave the circuit for their first navigation, I ask them to have SafeSky visible. To conclude, would you recommend the use of SafeSky? Edwin B.: Of course! It would be stupid to deprive yourself of such a cheap or even free application, which can save you a lot of scares, especially in areas with high traffic density: tourist attractions, bottlenecks created by controlled areas, etc.

In summary, how effective is the SafeSky app? "Our conclusion after our flights with SafeSky: as of now, we will always use the app. It provides a background warning, works with several of the navigation apps we use, and completes the cockpit's other collision notifications. The idea is interesting, especially when used with portable collision warning systems. These systems receive direct signals from ADS-B and sometimes FLARM, while SafeSky supplements Mode S transponders without ADS-B functionality, which nonetheless account for a significant portion of traffic." Thomas Borchert, Editor in Chief of Flieger Magazin, thoroughly tested SafeSky to objectively assess its benefits and areas of improvement. Discover his full article below. Safe flights.

Check out our latest newsletter including SafeSky's participation in the Mondial de l'ULM and much more!