In a meeting organized by FFVV (French Gliding Federation), the benefits of FLARM in locating missing aircraft were discussed. A presentation was given about how locating aircraft with FLARM can enable fast and efficient SAR response. The presentation was held by FFVV’s representatives Gilles Hug (Commission Formation-Sécurité) and Christophe Luquet (Comité Directeur) to those responsible for Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Aix-en-Provence. This RCC overlooks the whole French Alpine sector, and is part of the French Civil Aviation Authority’s “Centre en route de la navigation aérienne – Sud-Est” (DGAC / CRNA-SE).
In the meeting, the quick and precise location services provided by FLARM were explained in detail based on the SAR activities for HB-3393 (May 2012) and F-CLCC (March 2015). In both cases, FLARM provided the best location, in whose vicinity the aircraft was found. In the latter case, the pilot was found alive.
As part of FFVV’s safety goals of drastically reducing fatal gliding accidents in the next four years, FFVV will further train its members about the FLARM-based SAR process and related preparations. FFVV has decided to sponsor a countrywide infrastructure for receiving FLARM transmissions (link in French). This leverages the countrywide FLARM mandate in effect since 2013. According to the presented statistics, the number of mid-air collisions in France has been notably reduced since the introduction of FLARM.
Read about the SAR process here.