Advance in Saftey crushed by EASA
Once again the authorities in the UK demonstrate a pro-active attitude to flight safety with these trials. It is especially pleasing that the CAA is not charging modification fees for annex 2 aircraft involved in these trials and only requiring a minor modification.
Unfortunately this totally contrasts with the attitude of the very misnamed European Air Saftey Agency that doing its best to strangle any ADS-B implimemtation, I am installing a Garmin ADS-B capable ES transponder in my Robin the GPS sorce being an IFR approved GTN650.
Both of these units are approved by EASA for ADS-B in a large number of American aircraft, however EASA require an STC to enable the ADS-B to be switched on if installed in a Robin ! The total bill for this STC is IRO £15K !!!!!
Needless to say that with the bill for the STC exceeding the bill for the equipment by a considerable sum the ADS-B will not be enabled.
Having paid for the equipment to make flying safer for myself and those around me in the air ( and those on the ground below me) I find it gauling that the so called guardians of European air safety make it prohibitively expensive to switch the equipment on for reasons that have no technical justification or merit.
I can only conclude that EASA is more about increasing the income of its management than advancing the safety of European air transport.