"Airplane nearby" How does it know

[astrohip]

I was flying yesterday and a notice popped up on the screen "Aircraft nearby be careful" (or something like that). How does it know that? About the same time, I heard a small plane, so it clearly is accurate.

Info: I'm in the country, and there is a very small airport nearby (about 5 miles). No control tower, very little traffic (less than 3-5 landings a day, if that many).

I'm asking out of curiosity only, just wondering how it knows an airplane is nearby. I did a search, but couldn't find this answered.

 

[slup]

It knows through DJI AirSense...

"It's a alert system that uses ADS-B technology to give drone pilots enhanced situational awareness and help them make responsible decisions while flying. This feature gathers flight data sent automatically from nearby aircraft with ADS-B transmitters, analyzing it to detect potential collision risks and alert users well in advance through the DJI mobile app."

 

[Deleted member 170899]

I was flying yesterday and a notice popped up on the screen "Aircraft nearby be careful" (or something like that). How does it know that? About the same time, I heard a small plane, so it clearly is accurate.

Info: I'm in the country, and there is a very small airport nearby (about 5 miles). No control tower, very little traffic (less than 3-5 landings a day, if that many).

I'm asking out of curiosity only, just wondering how it knows an airplane is nearby. I did a search, but couldn't find this answered.

ADS-B you can google it. It's what apps like FlightAware use.

 

[MS Coast]

Be aware that not all manned aircraft flights involve ADS-B transmitters, so the AirSense feature cannot be depended on to point out all manned aircraft nearby.

 

[akdrone]

In point of fact around here (North Pole, Alaska) not many of the aircraft use that transponder. Of course all the commercial planes do but it seems most of the little guys don‘t and there are a LOT of small planes. There is a grass landing strip right down the street from us and two others within 5 miles. I hear planes nearby quite often and don’t get that warning. There is an app and web site, flightradar24.com that will show you planes all around the world that have transponders in use. It’s quite fascinating.

 

[astrohip]

Thank you all for the informative answers!

 

[Aerophile]

ADSB technology was "just over the horizon" and "coming soon" for years. Some (many?) pilots and aircraft owners resisted it (or just complained about it) for years -- kind of like Remote ID for drones. The FAA pushed back the mandatory implementation date for years, while most aircraft owners fretted (the cost to replace a perfectly good, working transponder, with a new one that supported ADSB was not cheap - many thousands of dollars). Eventually the FAA said no more delays, it's coming and required (in most cases) as of January 1, 2020. People scrambled, most got it done (I had a transponder upgrade in October 2019 just barely beating the deadline). Many pilots and aircraft owners resisted because they saw little or no useful benefit from the new technology. But that depends on how/where you fly and what kind of aircraft you fly. Some pilots/aircraft get great benefits from ADSB.

There were some who groused about Big Brother, life in a surveillance state, loss of freedoms, etc. (sound familiar?). There's no argument about the added cost (my transponder upgrade cost around $5K, but I could have gotten away with a cheaper, less sophisticated unit); others spent considerably more. With the airplane I have and the kind of flying I do, I don't really get much benefit from it. If I ever crash, finding the wreckage (and maybe me) probably will take less time, so I'll call that a benefit (I fly with a useless ELT and a quite capable PLB, but that requires me to press a button on it so if I'm disabled or killed in the crash, they'll just follow my ADSB track to my body).

I suspect most of the paranoia and whining from drone owners will disappear after remote ID is in use for a while, just as it did after ADSB was implemented. [mod removed political commentary]

 

[JoelP]

Do all of DJI’s drones now get these ADSB warnings? Is it just with their Fly app?

Occasionally I fly at the edge of a Class D airspace where there are many small aircraft flying above the 400 ft level. I am much more comfortable getting these warnings on my Mavic 3 knowing where some of these aircraft are located.

 

[Deleted member 170899]

Do all of DJI’s drones now get these ADSB warnings? Is it just with their Fly app?

Occasionally I fly at the edge of a Class D airspace where there are many small aircraft flying above the 400 ft level. I am much more comfortable getting these warnings on my Mavic 3 knowing where some of these aircraft are located.

All new DJI drone models released after January 1, 2020 that weigh more than 250 grams will include AirSense technology, which receives ADS-B signals from nearby airplanes and helicopters and warns drone pilots if they appear to be on a collision course. This will be the largest single deployment of ADS-B collision awareness technology to date, and sets a new standard by putting professional-grade aviation safety technology in drones available to everyone.
(From DJI)

 

[Ty Pilot]

As mentioned in post #4 not all aircraft are required to have ADSB. Relying on DJI's AirSense/ADSB to keep you aware of air traffic is ill advised.

 

[Tarmactripper]

In point of fact around here (North Pole, Alaska) not many of the aircraft use that transponder. Of course all the commercial planes do but it seems most of the little guys don‘t and there are a LOT of small planes. There is a grass landing strip right down the street from us and two others within 5 miles. I hear planes nearby quite often and don’t get that warning. There is an app and web site, flightradar24.com that will show you planes all around the world that have transponders in use. It’s quite fascinating.

I use that app extensively, i tracked the RAF plane bringing our late Queen home to London

 

[Chip]

I suspect most of the paranoia and whining from drone owners will disappear after remote ID is in use for a while, just as it did after ADSB was implemented. There will still be hold-outs who regard it as an Orwellian nightmare, but you can't live in a society designed for these guys...

Ironically, it was DJI who first called the proposed remote ID regulations "Orwellian" in an article published in 2017:

"No other technology is subject to mandatory industry-wide tracking and recording of its

use, and we strongly urge against making UAS the first such technology. The case for such an

Orwellian model has not been made."

 

[Zbip57]

All new DJI drone models released after January 1, 2020 that weigh more than 250 grams will include AirSense technology, which receives ADS-B signals from nearby airplanes and helicopters and warns drone pilots if they appear to be on a collision course.

DJI's inclusion of their AirSense ADS-B receivers makes a ton of sense, but would make a whole lot more sense if every manned aircraft were required to be equipped with ADS-B to prevent collisions. That would give drone pilots plenty of warning if they need to get out of the way of incoming manned aircraft. But not all planes are required to use ADS-B. Why?

If the FAA were truly intending to "integrate" drones into the National Airspace, then drones should also be fitted with ADS-B transmitters so that manned aircraft can also be aware of the presence of drones.

Instead we're getting this ridiculous Remote ID system for drones with very limited range that serves no useful purpose whatsoever for manned aircraft pilots.

 

[Zbip57]

Ironically, it was DJI who first called the proposed remote ID regulations "Orwellian" in an article published in 2017:
"No other technology is subject to mandatory industry-wide tracking and recording of its use, and we strongly urge against making UAS the first such technology. The case for such an Orwellian model has not been made."

Yes, because the original intent of drone Remote ID was that it would be internet-enabled. So, just like the ADS-B signals tracked by sites like FlightRadar24, those RID flight tracks would be saved, stored forever on the internet, to be replayed at any time if the need arose later.

That would be truly Orwellian if applied to drones, since it's not even (yet) required for all manned aircraft, which are literally proven to be infinitely more lethal than recreational drones.

 

[akdrone]

DJI's inclusion of their AirSense ADS-B receivers makes a ton of sense, but would make a whole lot more sense if every manned aircraft were required to be equipped with ADS-B to prevent collisions. That would give drone pilots plenty of warning if they need to get out of the way of incoming manned aircraft. But not all planes are required to use ADS-B. Why?

If the FAA were truly intending to "integrate" drones into the National Airspace, then drones should also be fitted with ADS-B transmitters so that manned aircraft can also be aware of the presence of drones.

Instead we're getting this ridiculous Remote ID system for drones with very limited range that serves no useful purpose whatsoever for manned aircraft pilots.

My Mav 3 got updated before I knew the update would include Remote ID. None of my other drones will get any updates unless they stop working without such updates. If I could roll back my Mav 3 I would just on principal. That said, the Mav3 updates are pretty significant and Remote ID is -almost- worth the trade off. Not….but almost…

 

[Deleted member 170899]

DJI's inclusion of their AirSense ADS-B receivers makes a ton of sense, but would make a whole lot more sense if every manned aircraft were required to be equipped with ADS-B to prevent collisions. That would give drone pilots plenty of warning if they need to get out of the way of incoming manned aircraft. But not all planes are required to use ADS-B. Why?

If the FAA were truly intending to "integrate" drones into the National Airspace, then drones should also be fitted with ADS-B transmitters so that manned aircraft can also be aware of the presence of drones.

Instead we're getting this ridiculous Remote ID system for drones with very limited range that serves no useful purpose whatsoever for manned aircraft pilots.

Careful what you wish for... ADS-B Out Transponder, Aircraft Transponder | MyPilotStore.com

 

[Deleted member 170899]

FYI, manned aircraft are required to have ADS-B out:

• Class A, B, and C airspace;
• Class E airspace at or above 10,000 feet msl, excluding airspace at and below 2,500 feet agl;
• Within 30 nautical miles of a Class B primary airport (the Mode C veil);
• Above the ceiling and within the lateral boundaries of Class B or Class C airspace up to 10,000 feet;
• Class E airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, at and above 3,000 feet msl, within 12 nm of the U.S. coast.

 

[Ralph thompson]

Not sure why anyone thinks being tracked is an issue, if you have a smart phone or modern automobile, many of your actions and location are constantly tracked.
There are loads of Jetson style personal flying vehicles being developed and the only way they will ever take to skies is with all airplanes including drones being equipped with ADS-B IN and OUT. There's no way an air traffic controller could handle all the future traffic. Transport authorities are just looking to the future. ADSB will be mandatory in most airspace in North America and Europe in a few years.

 

[Zbip57]

Careful what you wish for... ADS-B Out Transponder, Aircraft Transponder | MyPilotStore.com

Most of those very expensive ADS-B transponder units combine fancy display screens with standard transponder capability to squawk on various frequencies, which wouldn't be required for drones. DJI's system already provides all the necessary ADS-B receiver capability displayed on their app screen. It would only require the addition of an ADS-B out transmitter function. Depending on the power required to achieve sufficient range, how much cost would that add compared to the current Remote ID systems?

But wouldn't ADS-B functionality be far more beneficial for aviation safety?

 

[Zbip57]

FYI, manned aircraft are required to have ADS-B out: [...]

All of those examples are in controlled airspace. General aviation in Class-G uncontrolled airspace is not required, correct? And General Aviation is by far the most dangerous and lethal category and would benefit significantly from ADS-B preventing frequent mid-air collisions.

Instead the FAA is foisting Remote ID on UAS, which have killed nobody.