As part of the GA roadmap initiative EASA has focused on making instrument flying more accessible for GA pilots. Much effort has already gone into making the licensing more achievable and resulted in both the competency based instrument rating, the enroute instrument rating and more proportionate theoretical knowledge requirements. This process is ongoing with the basic instrument rating well on its way. This is not all however. The goal is to also remove other obstacles for IFR in GA operations such as certification of equipment and the IFR operating environment.
At the recent EASA GA Sectorial Team meeting the EU Agency for satelite navigation (GSA) gave a presentation on how LPV IFR procedures to non-instrument runways could be implemented: A recently revised ICAO definition of “non-instrument runway” and the already proposed introduction of a UNICOM concept in Europe all help to pave the way for such IFR cloud break procedures to VFR airfields without a local ATS unit.
The proposal was well received and found to give good promise of further increasing the GA safety level. The technology is ready, but some regulatory issues still needs to be resolved in relation requirements for weather observations, traffic information, approval of procedures etc. Proportionality is essential since simply copying how things are done for traditional IFR procedures will be driving costs to an unfeasible level. EASA confirmed the intent to take onboard these tasks and IAOPA will be onboard.
