Beware of 'Pilotaware'
I think you'll find that Pilotaware operates on a 'not for profit' basis . All monies raised from the sales of units is ploughed back into improvements and providing the hardware to build the ATOM Grid network to do their bit for improving light aviation safety.
Deserved of an honorable award IMO
Deserved of an honorable award IMO
PilotAware is a personal traffic avoidance tool ("electronic conspicuity") for general aviation. The only thing out of place in a forum for military guys is the fact to even bring it up here. It's like somebody in the airliner forum complaining that there are NTCA aircraft in the market, and alerting the airliner community to be careful before loading up an NTCA aircraft with 300 paying passengers. 
For what it is worth, I am using PAW since three years, and it works perfectly well, even in countries where there are no PAW ground stations (or ADS-B ground stations, for that matter). Where there are no ground stations, it still works was a peer-to-peer traffic receiver and transmitter.
As a traffic receiver, connected to a GA moving map app (like SkyDemon), it displays traffic on the map of my tablet. Optional voice alerts are filtered to only warn of traffic that poses an immediate threat. It receives traffic information from ADS-B Out equipped aircraft, and in a myriad of other formats. Including aircraft only equipped with transponders Mode-C or Mode-S. This - for GA - is absolutely critical as in many countries the majority of aircraft flying in GA airspace are not yet ADS-B equipped, and TPX-C is the common denominator.
It is correct that as a transmitter, PilotAware only transmits its own PAW signal. Nothing stopping you though from transmitting ADS-B Out, if you have that equipment. Then you just tell the PAW device not to transmit its own PAW signal. PilotAware doesn't compete against ADS-B; it is a 'poor man's' alternative to only transmitting TPX-C (or nothing at all). Transmit PilotAware, or FLARM, or whatever, if you can't do ADS-B Out. Simple as that.
As much as I try to keep my eyes outside the cockpit, many a times PAW "saw it first". You guys use TCAS or whatever, great! But it would be stupid for a GA pilot not use available simple tools like PAW to increase their traffic awareness.
For what it is worth, I am using PAW since three years, and it works perfectly well, even in countries where there are no PAW ground stations (or ADS-B ground stations, for that matter). Where there are no ground stations, it still works was a peer-to-peer traffic receiver and transmitter.
As a traffic receiver, connected to a GA moving map app (like SkyDemon), it displays traffic on the map of my tablet. Optional voice alerts are filtered to only warn of traffic that poses an immediate threat. It receives traffic information from ADS-B Out equipped aircraft, and in a myriad of other formats. Including aircraft only equipped with transponders Mode-C or Mode-S. This - for GA - is absolutely critical as in many countries the majority of aircraft flying in GA airspace are not yet ADS-B equipped, and TPX-C is the common denominator.
It is correct that as a transmitter, PilotAware only transmits its own PAW signal. Nothing stopping you though from transmitting ADS-B Out, if you have that equipment. Then you just tell the PAW device not to transmit its own PAW signal. PilotAware doesn't compete against ADS-B; it is a 'poor man's' alternative to only transmitting TPX-C (or nothing at all). Transmit PilotAware, or FLARM, or whatever, if you can't do ADS-B Out. Simple as that.
As much as I try to keep my eyes outside the cockpit, many a times PAW "saw it first". You guys use TCAS or whatever, great! But it would be stupid for a GA pilot not use available simple tools like PAW to increase their traffic awareness.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Great Britain
Age: 51
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It would even better if you transmitted low-power ADS-B (aka CAP1391) or FLARM as more people are likely to be able to see you rather than that daftly unique Pilot Aware signal format that only other Pilot Aware users can see.
It would even better if you transmitted low-power ADS-B (aka CAP1391) or FLARM as more people are likely to be able to see you rather than that daftly unique Pilot Aware signal format that only other Pilot Aware users can see.
I think you'll find that Pilotaware operates on a 'not for profit' basis . All monies raised from the sales of units is ploughed back into improvements and providing the hardware to build the ATOM Grid network to do their bit for improving light aviation safety.
Deserved of an honorable award IMO
Deserved of an honorable award IMO
