Avoidance rules between aircraft

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The rules of avoidance between aircraft define regulations when two aircraft are approaching with a risk of collision. These determine which of the participants has priority in which situation or in which direction to avoid. The basic idea here is that an evasive aircraft usually always changes its flight path to the right (in the direction of flight).

The avoidance rules apply to both instrument and visual flight flights and are defined internationally in ICAO Annex 2. In Germany they were defined in § 13 LuftVO (old version) until the new announcement of the air traffic regulation (LuftVO) came into force , as well as, depending on the aircraft type, additionally in the form of a corresponding flight operations regulations.

Basic rules

  • Aircraft approaching each other must always swerve to the right.
  • As in road traffic, a "right-before-left" rule also applies in aviation: If the directions of flight of two aircraft cross at approximately the same height, the one coming from the left has to avoid it.
    This fact is also taken into account by the color of the position lights of the aircraft, which are green on the right, red on the left and white on the rear. As a result, crossing traffic is signaled the right of way by the green light from the right and no right of way from the left by the red light.
    • Exception: The more maneuverable aircraft has to avoid the less manoeuvrable. In this context, the LuftVO defines the following ranking according to device type:
  • Overtaking aircraft must fly past the person being overtaken on the right. Overtaking is defined as an approach from behind at an angle of less than 70 °. Only the white, but not the green or red position lights of the aircraft to be overtaken can be seen.

  • Aircraft approaching each other must always swerve to the right.

  • Aircraft coming from the left are obliged to give way.

  • Overtaking aircraft must fly past the person being overtaken on the right.

Landing rules

  • Avoid landing aircraft.
  • If there are several aircraft on approach for landing, the one flying higher has to avoid the one flying lower. Exception: a more maneuverable aircraft always has to avoid the less maneuverable one when landing.

Special rules for non-motorized aircraft

In Germany, according to Section 21a (4) LuftVO , the rules of the flight operations regulations (FBO) for air sports equipment of the person responsible for this equipment class, i.e. the German Hang Glider Association (DHV) , also apply to airfields that are intended exclusively for the operation of air sports equipment . For gliders , the rules formulated by the German Aero Club (DAeC) in the Glidersport Operating Regulations apply. For the United States , these rules are laid down by the FAA .

Common rules are:

Avoidance rule when flying uphill on a slope ( soaring )
  • If aircraft with equal rights approach each other parallel to a slope, the one with the slope to the left is obliged to evade. This rule is particularly relevant when soaring .
  • A device that rises slowly on the upswing has to evade a device that rises faster.
  • The first device to enter an updraft specifies the direction of rotation for thermal circles . Subsequent pilots must circle in the same direction.

See also

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Individual evidence

  1. ^ Frank Dörner: To the right . Discuss avoidance rules. In: Air sports . No. 2 , 2007, p. 17-18 .
  2. ^ A b International Civil Aviation Organization: International Standards - Rules of the Air Annex 2 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (PDF; 1.1 MB) 10th Edition, July 2005, accessed on November 8, 2012
  3. ↑ a b c Air Traffic Regulations (LuftVO)
  4. ↑ Flight Operations Regulations (FBO) for hang gliders and paragliders (German Hang Glider Association)
  5. ^ German Aero Club e. V. - Gliding Commission: Glider Sports Operating Regulations ( Memento of the original from March 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , New edition 2014, as of September 2015 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.daec.de
  6. ↑ US Department of Transportation - Federal Aviation Administration - Flight Standards Service: Glider Flying Handbook (2003), pp. 10–7 and 10–10 ( available online, PDF, 20.1 MB ( Memento of the original dated February 6, 2009 in Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.faa.gov