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EUROCONTROLEUROCONTROLEUROPE AIR SPORTSEUROPE AIR SPORTS

Sporting & Recreational Sporting & Recreational Aviation ConferenceAviation Conference

GLIDINGGLIDING

Günter Bertram

Numbers and typesNumbers and types Gliders

– 22.000 gliders, 90.000 licensed glider pilots – Cross country flights up to 1000 km+ are flown (often

across borders)– More than 550.000 km can be flown on a good day– Modern gliders are equipped with navigation systems

(GPS), flight recorders, anti-collision device (FLARM).

– MTOM< 850 kg, max 2 POB, some gliders have an engine,

– Self Launching (SLG), Self-Sustaining (SSG), Touring (TMG)

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RegulationRegulation Gliders

Regulated at EASA level – Certified aircraft (CS-22) – Controlled maintenance– Pilots hold an ICAO glider pilot license– Operations strongly organised in gliding clubs– Community feels over-regulated

Journey ExampleJourney ExampleGlider (860 km flight)

Thermal “airways” in Germany

Glider CharacteristicsGlider Characteristics– Needs a big area to operate and

sometimes high altitude (wave flying in mountains)

– Equipped with radio, and sometimes transponder

– Manoeuvres better than a balloon, but not as good as an airplane, and are unable to maintain an altitude

Glider CharacteristicsGlider Characteristics– Wish to go through controlled airspace

on ATC clearance or in segregated airspace

– Many gliders may fly together in the same thermal

– The pilots fly to exercise a sport– Sometimes difficult for the pilot to

simultaneously communicate with ATC and concentrate on staying airborne

Airspace ProblemsAirspace Problems Aerodromes needs:

– Easy VFR access to adequate number of conveniently located small aerodromes

– Reasonable VFR access to busier aerodromes

– Separate arrival and departure paths and procedures for slow and fast aircraft

– Short and/or parallel runways to minimise conflict with IFR traffic

– Flexibility in the handling of VFR traffic

Airspace ProblemsAirspace Problems Lower Airspace ( GND - FL95)

– Accommodates most General and Sport aviation and aerial work activities

Middle Airspace (FL 95 - FL195)– some, but limited activities

Upper Airspace (195+)– Rarely used, but access required for certain

activities

Lower Airspace ( GND - FL95) Lower Airspace ( GND - FL95)

Problems are mainly in the Lower Airspace:

– complex patchwork– restrictive vertical division to controlled

airspace– Large, inflexible TMAs– Sometimes over-controlled by ATC– Conflicts with high speed military aircraft

Equipment IssuesEquipment Issues

– Equipment carriage requirements not harmonised across ECAC countries

– Equipment programmes aimed at one specific airspace user (commercial IFR) with no consideration for other users

– Cost-benefit analysis does not take other user groups into account (8.33 kHz radios, Mode S TXPD)

Equipment IssuesEquipment Issues– Wider use of GPS for VFR activities (Galileo ?)

– Lack of forward planing ! (ADS-B)

– Lack of co-ordination between ATM planners: airspace harmonisation, Modes S, ADS-B, 8.33 kHz

Technical LimitationsTechnical Limitations Limitations on equipment carriage:

– Mass: gliders are weight critical

– Certification: Equipment certification makes equipment

costly– Maintenance:

Periodical maintenance is expensive– Electrical Power:

gliders have no generator! Need of a low power transponder

Our concerns for the futureOur concerns for the future

Lack of sufficient, contiguous, airspace for VFR cross country flight (better analyses of VFR needs)

Use of airports not used today (low cost carriers) Unnecessary complexity of airspace (lack of

harmonization) Cost of equipment (8.33, Mode-S) Lack of FUA implementation Denial of access (even when equipped and/or

airspace is unused) UAVs