FAI Commission on Airspace and Navigation Systems

Airspace restrictions for sporting aircraft are becoming more critical in many geographic areas where other air traffic is growing. At the same time the accuracy of navigational systems is getting better, particularly those that are based on satellites in earth orbit (GPS and similar systems). Such systems are already in use in many areas of FAI for the recording of evidence for Sporting purposes, but they have wider uses.

The 2007 FAI General Conference decided to establish a new FAI Technical Commission on Airspace and Navigation Systems. Until the commission is formally created and starts working, this page will host the initial information made available in this important area for the future of air sports worldwide.

Minutes:
The Minutes of the inaugural CANS meeting are available as a pdf download.

• CANS Minutes March 2008 (pdf 79Kb)

Documents:

• What is Mode S? A paper by Lars Holmström (pdf 85Kb)
• Proposal for FAI Technical Commission on Navigation and Airspace (IGC paper for the FAI General Conference 2007) (pdf 21Kb)
• Annex B to IGC Proposal for FAI Technical Commission on Navigation and Airspace (pdf 92Kb)
• General and Sport Aviation and the Use of Satellite-Based Systems (by Peter Hearne and Ian Strachan) (pdf 43Kb)
• Australian ADS-B Programs (pdf 96Kb)
• FAA Notice of proposed rulemaking on ADS-B (pdf 310Kb)

Reports:

• FAI 2007 General Conference GNSS/RTCA Report

Position Papers from FAI Members:

• Australia: Comment on the Australian ATM Strategic Plan; Making Room for Sport and Recreational Aviation; A Strategic View (pdf 23Kb)
• Australia: Collision Avoidance Processes for Sport and Recreational Aviation and the Application of GPS Based Technology (pdf 110Kb)

Airspace Accessibility:

• Letter of support from the International Olympic Committee (pdf 242Kb)
• Letter of support from the General Association of International Sports federations (pdf 280Kb)