FLARM is here now
With over 11,000 aircraft currently fitted with FLARM why should European GA wait for the local " Authorities on Civil Aviation" ?
It may not ( but probably could) meet certification, but it is here, now, working and saving lives.
If light aircraft pilots fit it this week end it could save them next week, not in 5 years time when full ADSB comes along. Light aeroplanes can use this now I believe and it does not need to be "certified".
Having said that, the risk of collision remains low. Over central UK yesterday there were hundreds of gliders and aeroplanes ( possibly 700+ and certainly 250 competition gliders alone) airborne within 50nm of Oxford between 1200 and 1700 amassing thousands of hours airborne without miss hap, and the vast majority without transponders or talking to ATC. How could that number of aircraft actually talk to one ATC centre and how could anyone separate all those contacts on radar? 700 aircraft 300 minutes! FLARM is actually designed to work in a high traffic density situation and could be the correct solution, but I am no expert. All I know is that it was worth me spending my hard earned money on.
I have given up on the light weight, low power transponder malarkey, I don't think it will ever happen.
bb