NOTice to AirMen

NOTice to AirMen is a mobile application developed in the context of Erasmus+ NOTice to AirMen project that aims to increase the safety for paraglider pilots across EU member states by visually presenting on an interactive map all the NOTices to AirMen and restrictions applicable at a given moment overall all European Union.

Needs Analysis

After identifying this shared need and goal within their organization, the future project partners performed a needs analysis first at the level of their country (Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic) and then at the level of paraglider pilots in the entire EU by preparing an online questionnaire about pilot’s awareness of controlled airspaces and NOTAMs and compliance therewith. The results confirmed the needs identified at the level of partner organizations and their strategy to find a joint solution at the EU level. Of all respondent pilots, 27% stated that they check NOTAMs before every flight, 64% check them sometimes and 9% never check them.

On reasons for not checking NOTAMs, pilots most frequently stated the following reasons:

- difficult to access information,

- lack of skills and knowledge about where or how to access information,

- inconvenience,

- lack of knowledge where to access this information in a foreign country;

- the available sources of information are outdated with respect to ease of access and user experience.

On the sources of information for checking NOTAMs, they listed websites which are outdated and not mobile-friendly. There is currently no mobile application available to paraglider pilots for checking NOTAMs and controlled airspaces, even though mobile access would be their preferred way of accessing this information.

The application is available for IOS and Android and it can be dowloaded from bellow:

Context

Paragliding is a sport and leisure activity with multiple benefits for the body and mind. Flying with a paraglider is one of the easiest and fastest to learn of all air sports, and it is therefore becoming ever more popular and widespread. Paragliding, however, is an air sport requiring in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for practicing it safely. Paraglider pilots must be aware and comply with all air traffic control rules and regulations just like any other aircraft.

One of the fundamental concepts in air traffic control are controlled airspaces and NOTAMs (NOTice to AirMen). Controlled airspaces are areas of different shapes, where aircraft can only enter after contacting and getting the approval of the air traffic controller (the tower). NOTAMs are short text notices used in aviation, some of which define temporary areas where air traffic is controlled by civil or military authorities. These temporary control areas are defined in function of military exercises and operations, aerial photography, UAV (drone) flights etc.

Paraglider pilots do not fly with a transponder radio to give their position and contact the air traffic controller and must therefore keep out of all controlled airspaces. Paraglider pilots must check controlled airspaces and NOTAMs before every flight, in order to avoid them and prevent any accidents or incidents in flight. NOTAMs are defined for a specific period and they change on a daily basis. Therefore, paraglider pilots must check them before every flight.

As paragliding is regarded as a sport and leisure activity, and not as a regulated field of aviation, project partners experienced low levels of theoretical preparation and discipline among club members and other fellow pilots with respect to awareness of and compliance with air traffic rules, especially controlled airspaces and NOTAMs. This is especially valid for pilots visiting other countries, as they are not aware of how to check the aviation rules of the country they visit. Project partners identified the common stringent need to educate paraglider pilots about air traffic regulations. They also identified the need for providing accurate, up-to-date and easily accessible information to pilots about NOTAMs and controlled airspaces to ensure that all pilots check them before every flight. As a result of their collaboration at a transnational dimension, they also identified the need to create a unitary platform where visiting pilots of all Member States can check air traffic information of the country they visit.

Objectives Reached:

O1. Develop a mobile application to provide accurate, easy to use and up to date information about air traffic control regulations, especially controlled airspaces and NOTAMS (temporary controlled areas defined by notices).

O2. Raise the awareness among paraglider pilots across Europe about the existence of a NOTAM mobile application and educate them about how to access and comply with air traffic control regulations.

Contribution to the European policies in the field of sport:

Our project contributes to the aims of the Small Collaborative Partnerships “Protect athletes, especially the youngest, from health and safety hazards by improving training and competition conditions” by developing an application addressed to increase the safety in paragliding;

Our project contributes to point 12 (3) of the Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the European Union Work Plan for Sport (1 July 2017-31 December 2020) (2017/C 189/02)  “Sport and society, in particular social inclusion, the role of coaches, education in and through sport, sport and health, sport and environment and sport and media, as well as sport diplomacy.”, by focusing on the protection and safety dimension in Sport.

Our project contributes to achieving one of the important feature of the Erasmus+ programme, the “Protection and safety of participants” and contributes to the improvement of safety and protection measures in practicing paragliding.