Yeager, what is the budget? If 10K+, then you could think of some TAS or TXP+TAS combined in the form of Lynx 9000+ “active traffic”.
Otherwise, just as you’ve mentioned – cheapest option for ADS-B out certified + some uncertified traffic solution IN, for example, PilotAware as it picks up Mode-S via ground stations + some weather. Could be any other option!
IIUC you have a TRIG mode S which could have the ES switched on?
If I may suggest you just download the SafeSky app. It’s free. You can display it on a tablet or smartphone and run it along with SkyDemon. A few months of this and you can soon find out what you will be missing and whether you need to add another piece of equipment. SafeSky is improving all the time throughout most of Europe, especially France, Spain and Portugal, as they add more and more base stations.
Just a suggestion. French pilots are always happy to use free stuff it is does the job.
If you are talking about mobile data (4G etc) airborne I would be careful in some countries.
I’ve found, over 22 years of flying, that in France and Belgium in particular, you can have a strong signal for hours but get no data. The likely explanation is that the device has been blacklisted by the network because it tried to connect to too many ground stations concurrently, which would be a perfectly sensible design feature, and I am sure is being used widely otherwise an airliner flying at low level, say near an airport, would cause mayhem.
It may differ for local SIM cards.
And above say 3000ft you get nothing anyway, generally.
I have been using it on a supermarket SIM for a few months now and have found it is picking up most things. I haven’t found anything that I feel I need extra. But that is why I suggested it as it’s a cheap way (free) of finding out what you can do with or without. It’s just won this year’s Aviation and Pilote trophy.
arj1 wrote:
Yeager, what is the budget? If 10K+
Budget would probably be what ever it takes to meet reasonable valuable return (added safety) on investment, considering the environment I operate in. I am critical on the value of this “visibility” avionics upgrade. It´s easy to throw cash at everything one wants, but in the current theater, I don´t see it being the right time or priority to go “big or go home”. 10K is out of the question in this case. I´ve noted PilotAware, and I think I already looked at it and ruled it out, but will check again.
gallois wrote:IIUC you have a TRIG mode S which could have the ES switched on?
Yes, Trig TT31 Transponder´s ES (ADS B out) needs a GPS input, from either a certified (sil=1 or better) GPS source or an uncertified (sil=0) GPS source, to use ADS B out.
Your idea about trying out that free SafeSky application to actually see how much traffic show up sounds like it could be a good idea. But, with the limitations (and others), as Peter also mention. I´ll investigate it! Merci.
Yeager wrote:
10K is out of the question in this case.
Got it! In that case, it is some Mode-S/ES (in Europe non-ES ADS-B-out is uncertified, AFAIK).
Yeager wrote:
I´ve noted PilotAware, and I think I already looked at it and ruled it out, but will check again.
From testing by other pilots, PilotAware is somewhat more reliable than SafeSky in terms of connecivity, plus even if you lose the ground comms, it still works OK as ADS-B IN. With SafeSky you have no other options but to rely on Internet connectivity, and it is completely unpredictable.
@arj1 when did you last try Safesky? It’s been pretty good coverage in Europe, for some time now especially France Spain and Portugal although Norway is now pretty good as well. LeSving would perhaps know more. But I have only been testing it over the last few months and I have found it pretty good in conjunction with SkyDemon but others are using it happily with SDVFR.
gallois wrote:
arj1 when did you last try Safesky? It’s been pretty good coverage in Europe, for some time now especially France Spain and Portugal although Norway is now pretty good as well. LeSving would perhaps know more. But I have only been testing it over the last few months and I have found it pretty good in conjunction with SkyDemon but others are using it happily with SDVFR.
gallois, some friends of mine did an extensive testing recently – the problem is when you lose Internet, you get nothing at all from SafeSky – other solutions allow at least something via ADS-B IN.
It’s very congested at times in the south east.
I was never bothered for 10-15 years and was happy that looking out was enough.
After 5 years with PilotAware, I feel I trust it, and actually rely on it, almost to the point that if it isn’t available **, I’d consider not flying, if VFR
**(accidentally left Skydemon at home, or have done something to temporarily disable PAW for some other reason)
Other strategies need to be employed simply because a lot of traffic is not electronically visible. Probably well above 50%, depending on the country and the area.
In the UK we have the CAA busts chief running this stupid policy so many people are flying totally invisible. In other countries this is also type dependent because e.g. some countries ban foreign reg Annex 1 for long term parking. Etc.
In the UK, flying below 2000ft is best avoided. At 3000ft the sky is pretty empty. In France likewise from what I can see (most traffic is aeroclub traffic and all traffic I ever saw there was very low down). Probably similar elsewhere…
