Yes. With the latest firmware of its Flarm/Fanet module, AIR³ broadcasts your position in ADS-L, alongside FLARM and FANET.
Which AIR³ units are concerned?
- All units shipped from now on support ADS-L out of the box.
- AIR³ 7.35+ and AIR³ 7.3+ V2 (delivered from December 2022) get it through a free firmware update of the Flarm/Fanet module.
How do I update and activate it?
The firmware update is done with XC Guide. Follow the instructions here. ADS-L is supported from XC Guide 678 and XCTrack 1.0.7 beta.
Once the firmware is up to date:
XC Guide: ADS-L has to be enabled in the settings.
XCTrack: ADS-L is active automatically as soon as the Flarm/Fanet/ADS-L module is enabled in the internal sensors.
See more details about internal sensors activation here.
What is ADS-L?
ADS-L (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Light) is an open standard published by EASA. Like FLARM and FANET, it broadcasts your position on the licence-free 868 MHz band. The difference is that its format is public, so any manufacturer of aircraft, drones or ground receivers can use it. The goal is a single protocol shared by paragliders, gliders, ultralights and drones, which today mostly use separate systems.
What does it change for me?
More devices can see you: any receiver that decodes ADS-L picks up your position. FLARM and FANET keep working exactly as before.
Two things to keep in mind:
- ADS-L is not a transponder. It does not make you visible to ATC radar or to TCAS, and it does not give access to a Transponder Mandatory Zone.
- ADS-L is only required in U-space airspace. Elsewhere it is optional, and its benefit will grow as more manufacturers adopt it.