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Europe Air SportsEurope Air Sportsrepresenting the European Air Sports

CommunityVery different air sport activities

But one common requirement:

Free access to Free access to airspaceairspace

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pace German Aero Club Headquarter

Secretary General & T/O Air space Military Air Crew TornadoUS Commercial Pilot IR, US-Glider

Instructor + JAR-FCL Private Pilot Ultralight and Glider Instructor3000 h + Flight ExperienceHang Glider Pilot in Training

Günter Bertram

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EAS Working structureEAS Working structure Members

– Representing 700.000 people in 25 countries Board

– VP working at European Aviation Safety Agency– VP working at Eurocontrol

EASA– Licensing– Medical– Maintainance

Eurocontrol– Airspace– Radios 8.33 kHz– Transponder Mode S

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Hangglider and paraglidersHangglider and paragliders115.000 hang glider and paraglider pilots

with 115.000 aircraft. On a day with good thermal conditions a

total of 200.000 cross-country km are flown by round about 20.000 hang glider and paraglider pilots.

Usually airspace G and E is used. The best documented hang glider and paraglider flights cover distances up to 400 km.

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European Air Space ConsiderationsEuropean Air Space ConsiderationsVery diverse Air Space usage

– London Heathrow vs. Kirkeness Norway– Alp Region vs. Netherlands– Strong Air Sports Nations vs. Small (by

number)Europe is a not uniform and does not have

to be– In terrain– air sports culture– Civil/ military cooperation– Air Traffic Management

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Thermal “airways” in Germany

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Straight line 183 km x-countryStraight line 183 km x-country

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Airspace ProblemsAirspace Problems Lower Airspace ( Ground - FL95 ?)

– complex patchwork– restrictive vertical division to controlled airspace– Large, inflexible TMAs– Sometimes over-controlled by Air Traffic Control ATC– Conflicts with high speed military aircraft

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

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

(Wave flying)

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Airspace Airspace HarmonisationHarmonisation

Flexible use of air space air space design must consider all users Use of International Civil Aviation

Organisation (ICAO) air space classification Air space classes should have same rules in

all European Commuity countries Harmonized publication of Visual Flight Rules

(VFR) air space rules in the national Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP)

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An exampleAn example

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European Air Space HarmonisationEuropean Air Space Harmonisation

Eurocontrol Air Navigation Strategy – ICAO Airspace classification

different rules within the same category (WX, VFR access rules)

Few countries use (A,B,F(HX)) Single European Sky Air traffic management Research

– three air space categories – required– Introduction beyond 2015+

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concerns for the futureconcerns for the futureLack 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)

Need of a low power transponder !Cost of equipment (8.33, Mode-S)Lack of Flexible Use Airspace implementationDenial of access (even when equipped and/or

airspace is unused)Unmaned Aerial Vehicles

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The EAS Presidents final word The EAS Presidents final word at the Air Sports meeting on Dec. 1st at the Air Sports meeting on Dec. 1st

2006 at Eurocontrol2006 at Eurocontrol

Above all, access to airspace and oceans and oceans of free airspace

Pilots are capable of adapting to unusual situations, as this is one of the challenges why we fly.