A working group with a wide representation of operational expertise from the general aviation (GA) and rotorcraft communities commenced a study to enhance the SESAR Concept of Operations (ConOps) from a specific GA and rotorcraft perspective. The task of the group is to integrate GA and rotorcraft specific needs to the SESAR ConOps and to provide necessary complementary guidance material for the SESAR programme. This study follows on from the earlier exercise undertaken to integrate military needs into the SESAR ConOps that was concluded earlier this month. The members of the general aviation and rotorcraft group are Peter Norton (British Helicopter Association), Philippe Rollet (Eurocopter Group), Nigel Talbot (AgustaWestland), Michael Erb (AOPA), Jo Konrad (Microlight Specialists), Julian Scarfe (PPL-IR), René Meier (Europe Airsports).
The group met for the first time from 23 to 25 November at the SJU premises and is expected to deliver its final report in April 2011. Once approved, the updated version of the ConOps including the GA and rotorcraft aspects will be integrated into the relevant SJU programme work packages.
Well, I should be sleeping much better now, except for one thing. This piece of news, which is positive after all, does show up once again that European air traffic management still has not gotten over its silo mentality.
The very idea that there is a need to “enhance” the Conops from one or another particular perspective is a throw back to the times before SESAR when fragmentation was the name of the game and this was true not only in terms of airspace but also user interests.
While there is no doubt that general aviation and rotorcraft have particular needs and also important capabilities that need to be taken into account in any ATM concept, setting up a group with only GA and rotorcraft reps and not a single soul from the rest of the community is not unlike a committee of undertakers and pathologists designing a hospital. Their interests are important but the surgeons and cardiologists should also be there…
One can only hope that in the SESAR case, the “enhancements” put forward by the GA and rotorcraft guys will first be screened by the rest of the community lest the Conops is “improved” along the lines of the hospital above.
With the passage of time, the need to develop further the original Conops is clearly there. But it should be done in a coherent manner and not in silos.