Mid-air collisionIn aviation, a mid-air collision is an accident in which two or more aircraft come into unplanned contact during flight and collide with each other. The potential for a mid-air collision is increased by miscommunication, mistrust, error in navigation, deviations from flight plans, lack of situational awareness, and the lack of collision-avoidance systems.
Airborne collision avoidance systemAn airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS; usually AY-kas) operates independently of ground-based equipment and air traffic control in warning pilots of the presence of other aircraft that may present a threat of collision. If the risk of collision is imminent, the system recommends a maneuver that will reduce the risk of collision. ACAS standards and recommended practices are mainly defined in Annex 10, Volume IV, of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Air traffic controlAir traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through controlled airspace. The primary purpose of ATC is to prevent collisions, organise and expedite the flow of air traffic, and provide information and other support for pilots. In some countries, ATC can also provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace.
Transponder (aeronautics)A transponder (short for transmitter-responder and sometimes abbreviated to XPDR, XPNDR, TPDR or TP) is an electronic device that produces a response when it receives a radio-frequency interrogation. Aircraft have transponders to assist in identifying them on air traffic control radar. Collision avoidance systems have been developed to use transponder transmissions as a means of detecting aircraft at risk of colliding with each other.
AircraftAn aircraft or aerial vehicle is a vehicle that can fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, drones, rotorcraft (including helicopters), airships (including blimps), gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.
Secondary surveillance radarSecondary surveillance radar (SSR) is a radar system used in air traffic control (ATC) that, unlike Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) systems that measure the bearing and distance of targets using the detected reflections of radio signals, relies on targets equipped with a radar transponder, that reply in the same Mode that an interrogation pulse code corresponds to, by transmitting a pulse telegram containing, e.g. the identity code as a 4 digit octal number in Mode A, the aircraft's altitude from the barometric pressure sensor of an aircraft in Mode C and a unique 24-bit address and further information in other Modes.
Horizontal situation indicatorThe horizontal situation indicator (commonly called the HSI) is an aircraftflight instrument normally mounted below the artificial horizon in place of a conventional heading indicator. It combines a heading indicator with a VHF omnidirectional range-instrument landing system (VOR-ILS) display. AdvantageThe HSI can reduce pilot workload by lessening the number of elements in the pilot's instrument scan to the six basic flight instruments.
Glass cockpitA glass cockpit is a cockpit, as used in aircraft and spacecraft, that features an array of electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than traditional analog dials and gauges.
AirspaceAirspace is a portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory and territorial waters, which is under the country's sovereignty and regulatory control. Internationally, allocation and management of airspace is coordinated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which was established through the 1944 Chicago Convention and came into being in 1947 to unify air traffic.
Federal Aviation RegulationsThe Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governing all aviation activities in the United States. FAA regulations comprise Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR).
VariometerIn aviation, a variometer – also known as a rate of climb and descent indicator (RCDI), rate-of-climb indicator, vertical speed indicator (VSI), or vertical velocity indicator (VVI) – is one of the flight instruments in an aircraft used to inform the pilot of the rate of descent or climb. It can be calibrated in metres per second, feet per minute (1 ft/min = 0.00508 m/s) or knots (1 kn ≈ 0.514 m/s), depending on country and type of aircraft.
International Civil Aviation OrganizationThe International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. The ICAO headquarters are in the Quartier international de Montréal of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.