ADS-B - what practical relevance in Europe?

I once encountered 7 of them below one cloud that I was about to penetrate.

This is why I prefer to fly on top. Around Stuttgart is a real hotspot. Nearly all near misses with gliders (I had a lot) happened there.

The UK does not have an IFR certificate. There is a “radio test” on a G-reg, but none of this affects your legality to fly IFR. Your IFR legality is purely based on whether you are carrying the equipment required for the class of airspace, etc.

That is just calling it a name, on the UK CAA you must do the same testing as on the G-reg, or on PH-reg for example. In germany you write the results on that certificate which can be the CRS as well, in the Netherlands you just get a CRS stating it has been checked. I can issue a the IFR (or VFR) certificate as well for D-reg. In the UK this testing is part of the annual program so should be carried out as well. There is really no difference between them at all, it’s the SAME testing using the SAME equipement, and can be done by the SAME person, only the name of the test might differ and the way to release it might be slightly different.

An avionics and pitot static test on the same aircraft would / should cost the same, weither it is D-reg, PH-reg or G-reg when done by the same person or company.

There have been many reports where the avionics shop didn’t like something and refused to issue this certificate. One recent example is somebody having just one 8.33 radio, while the shop said “EASA requires two”. Actually EASA doesn’t require two…

If you’re not satisfied with a shop, you should inform them first, if you can not work that out, your free to change to another shop. I can’t see how you could blame the LBA for the issue above?

An avionics and pitot static test on the same aircraft would / should cost the same, weither it is D-reg, PH-reg or G-reg when done by the same person or company.

This is why the price is nearly the same around 100 pounds (for the whole plane) on a G-reg and 50 to 75 Euro per device on a D-Reg. A GNS530W is 3 devices, a com, a nav and a GPS receiver. They have just a different conversion factor. LOL

The UK does not have an IFR certificate.

Neither does Germany. It has the same EASA mandated radio check document with the same information. Only in addition there is a checkbox which says "Aircraft meets requirements for IFR flight according to XYZ. That is not a certificate, more an information to the pilot.

Germany has the annual “IFR certificate” which is the point at which you are over a barrel, every year.

Nobody got you over the barrel. There are loads of avionics checkers here and nobody wants to lose a client for that job which is easy money for nothing. If they cause you problems, you go elsewhere. In my experience they only want to collect their fee and have a bit of hangar talk. At one point I was discussing the illegal modifications a checker performed on his private aircraft…

PS: While I have zero respect for avionics checkers that do nothing but perform these avionics tests (it really is grossly overpaid for a job requiring no actual qualification), I have a lot of respect for avionics installers which is a very difficult and tedious job. Those I am fine making some extra money on the testing.

Achim,

are you saying that you can fly a d-reg airplane IFR without that checkbox ticked? I don’t think you can?

Can you fly a D-reg plane with the checkbox ticked but your 2nd radio INOP? Can you fly a G-reg plane in German airspace under IFR without a DME?

You always have to meet the airspace requirements, whichever registration your flying. For example in Dutch airspace you need the equipment needed to carry out the flight. If you make a VOR-DME approach you must have a DME whatever registration your flying.

There is NO difference in testing. Where the results are on a regulor CRS / logentry in Germany these results for all aircraft, VFR or IFR are reported on this special form, which can also be used as CRS. In that respect it is for a pilot in Germany easier to see if the aircraft can be operated IFR or not. On G reg and PH reg for example this might be more difficult to notice.

Achim,

I am serious about this.

Here in Switzerland, IFR is stamped into the airplane documents. In order to get that entry, you need to comply with a minimum equipment list which is listed by the BAZL. Some of the equipment listed is conditional, which means you only need it if the airspace requires it, others not. As far as I can recall off hand, 2x Coms of which one 8.33, 2x NAV, 1x ILS, DME, HSI, 2axis AP, 2nd Altimeter and BRNAV and some other things are always required, ADF and Marker Receiver only if required. If any of the basic required stuff is inop, you can not fly IFR. So no, you can’t fly without a DME and without both Coms, Navs e.t.c.

So according to this, you are only legal to fly IFR if you have the document which sais your airplane is certified for IFR (Switzerland) or the check form with the confirmation that the equipment on board is fit for IFR (Germany), plus all the listed equipment must be operative unless it is not required as basic AND not required by the airspace.

Jesse, I understand that the DME is compulsory for IFR in Germany and Switzerland under all circumstances, so a inop DME would mean you are VFR only. Now I do wonder how the difference is really. What does EASA mandate you absolutely need? I understood that a DME is ALWAYS required in Europe, along with the dual nav/com, BRNAV and so on, but I may well be wrong. In which case, I wonder whether the national gold plating by Germany and Switzerland is actually not EASA compliant.

Urs,

the Swiss requirements are a bit different and much stricter than what we have in Germany. Yes, you indeed have an IFR approval but we don’t. I can take my D-reg without a DME that is not marked as IFR in the avionics check form and fly IFR in France because I meet all requirements for IFR there (unless I shoot an approach involving a DME). I doubt you can do that with your Swiss aircraft without DME because the “no IFR” is part of the ARC as far as I know.