Cables and power lines: difficult-to-detect obstacles
Overhead wires, power lines and connecting cables pose a particular risk to helicopters during low-level operations.
Why are wires so hazardous?
Compared with larger structures such as pylons, buildings or antennas, wires can have a small diameter, limited visual contrast and may span valleys, slopes or operational corridors. Detecting them can be made more difficult by lighting, background, weather conditions, distance and viewing angle.
Seeing a support structure does not guarantee that all associated conductors will be immediately visible. Risk assessment therefore requires planning, local knowledge and continuous observation.
The role of FlySafe! ObstacleDetect
FlySafe! is designed to relate the aircraft's position, heading and speed to the obstacle data available in the selected database.
Obstacle data
Display of features contained in the datasets loaded for the operating area.
Direction and distance
Position and movement data are processed to highlight potentially relevant obstacles along the direction of flight.
Pilot alerts
Visual and audible information designed to draw attention to obstacles identified in the available data.
An aid, not a certified collision-avoidance system
FlySafe! does not replace the pilot's responsibility, operating procedures, flight planning, official aeronautical publications or certified onboard systems. Alert effectiveness depends on the completeness, accuracy, currency and correct classification of the loaded data. A wire that is absent from the database, incorrectly georeferenced or not represented in the data cannot be reported by the application.
Operators must verify the source, date and suitability of datasets for each specific operational scenario.
Discover FlySafe! ObstacleDetect
Learn more about the application's features and how obstacle data is managed.
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