A Department for Transport (DfT) rebate scheme designed to encourage adoption of Electronic Conspicuity (EC) see and avoid. devices, such as automatic dependant surveillance broadcast (ADSB-out), within general aviation (GA) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) communities, has been extended for a third time.
The joint venture between the CAA and DfT was first launched in October 2020 with the intention of increasing the number of airspace users equipped with EC devices such as Pilot Aware and Sky Echo.
The scheme provides a 50% rebate of the purchase cost of an EC device to a maximum of £250 per eligible applicant, up to a total of 3,500 rebates. The previous deadline for the scheme was the end of February 2023, and the CAA has confirmed that this has now been extended until 31 March 2024.
While the CAA and DfT aren’t recommending any specific device, they do suggest that “all pilots understand and consider the functional benefits, and limitations, of any EC device”.
Devices currently recognised under the rebate scheme include ADS-B Out transponders, FLARM, Pilot Aware Rosetta and Sky Echo 2, and eligibility criteria can be found on the CAA website.
Image accredited to FLARM media gallery
