ICASC

The International Committee for Airspace Standards and Calibration (ICASC) was created following the 8th International Flight Inspection Symposium (IFIS) and exists to supplement the biennial (every two years) formal symposiums by promoting continuity in the exchange of regulatory, technical, operational and commercial information in flight inspection. At the eighth meeting of its 186th Session, on March 9, 2009, Representatives of the Council to the International Civil Aviation Organization, included ICASC in the list of international organizations that may be invited to attend suitable ICAO meetings.

International Flight Inspection Symposiums have been held biennially since 1984.

ICASC

Our Vision

The ICASC Vision and Mission were specifically developed to guide the committee in providing the most effective and efficient, technical, flight inspection related information to the international aviation community.

Our Mission

To promote airspace system safety by encouraging competency of flight calibration services world-wide.

ICASC Overview

The idea for an International Committee for Airspace Standards and Calibration (ICASC) was discussed at the Eighth International Flight Inspection Symposium (8th IFIS), held in June 1994, in Denver, Colorado.

Many delegates recognized a need to form an organization to serve the flight inspection community on a continuing basis because, the two-year gap between symposiums left a void in the exchange of technical information. In addition to the void in exchange of information, there was no official method to provide updates on what is happening globally to the flight inspection family.

Therefore, a few of the delegates met in Brussels, Belgium in May 1995 and agreed to establish an International Committee to serve in the interim of each biennial International Flight Inspection Symposium. The Committee presented the draft charter at the 9th IFIS, June 1996, in Braunschweig, Germany and the charter was approved. The following persons make up the founding members:

Mr. John Beddows

Mr. Tony Dart

Ms. Cecelia Feit

Dr. Manfred Haverland

Mr. Dieter Hielscher

Ms. Phyllis Howard

Mr. Alexander Kwartiroff

Mr. Asbjorn Madsen

Dr. David Powell

Mr. Onorio Rocca

Mr. Jim Savage

Mr. Peter Stastny

Mr. William H. Williams Jr.

IFIS

Brief History of the International Flight Inspection Symposium (IFIS)

The International Flight Inspection Symposium exists for the purpose of exchanging technical information, dealing with aviation system operation and its impact on flight. The discussions and presentations concerning flight inspection procedures, techniques, training, equipment, and other relevant topics, have brought a better understanding and focus on this important area of calibrating and maintaining the navigational signals and procedures upon which the aviation system operations are based.

In the early 1970’s, the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Air Force had a vision to organize an International Flight Inspection gathering to meet the needs of the global flight inspection community.

The first two meetings, held in November 1974, and November 1977, were hosted by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flights Standards Group at Rhein Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany. These meetings were government to government, with private industry invited on a non-participatory basis and were not as official as we know them today.

The technical theme of the first meeting was “The Merits of Pilot Update”, which at that time, was not very well accepted by the European flight inspection community. These meetings piqued the interest of government, civil aviation organizations, and private industry to continue in the following years with what is known today as the International Flight Inspection Symposium (IFIS).

In 1984, an Ottawa, Canada meeting was organized by Transport Canada, with private industry being invited as an equal partner in presenting papers and ideas for international flight calibration to exhibit their programs and products, a very small exhibition was held. A decision was made on the importance of regular technical information exchange meetings, a two-year practical interval was established, and this Ottawa meeting was considered the 3rd symposium.

Criteria was established to keep commercial presentations limited to the equipment exhibition area, and papers submitted and presented. Since the first IFIS, delegate attendance and participation has increased significantly.

ICAO

The International Civil Aviation Organization

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the 193 member State organization headquartered in Montreal, Canada. ICAO develops the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARP’s) for aviation navigation and landing facilities, as well as guidance material for flight inspection of those facilities. The SARP’s addressing the facilities are found in ICAO Annex 10, and in guidance material addressing flight inspection, ICAO DOC 8071, Testing of Radio Navigation Aids. The ICASC is working in collaboration with ICAO.

Inquiries to ICAO may be made at:

The International Civil Aviation Organization
999 University Street
Montreal, Quebec, H3C 5H7, Canada
Tel: + 1 514-954-8219
TELEX: 05-24513
FAX: + 1 514-954-6077
Sitatex: YULCAYA
Email: icaohq@icao.org

Library

ICASC Library

Library items are educational or summary items of interest that may be useful to those in the Flight Inspection community. Please contact us to register or modify entries in this section.

History

Flight Inspection History

Flight inspection has been under many names throughout the years, from airway patrol, airway inspection, facility flight check, to flight inspection. A vital part of providing a safe airspace system, the concept is almost as old as the airway system itself, which dates back to the 1920’s.

Each country provided or was responsible for providing, flight inspection services for their country. In a few cases, the country would provide these services for its neighboring country. By the late 1940’s flight inspection services included flight inspection equipment, airborne flight calibration, avionics support and calibration, and other services necessary to assure the safety of each country’s airspace system.

Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as Chicago Convention), was signed on 7 December 1944 by 52 States. Pending ratification of the Convention by 26 States, the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO) was established. It functioned from 6 June 1945 until 4 April 1947. By 5 March 1947 the 26th ratification was received. ICAO came into being on 4 April 1947.

Airborne inspection of navigational aids is a two-part operation requiring the skills of highly trained flight crews. The first part is an evaluation of the “signal in space”, i.e., the radiation signal of the navigational aid, much like that of a radio station. These signals are checked in accordance with the requirements of ICAO. The second part is to certify instrument approach procedures that are constructed to allow pilots to safely use airport runways in adverse weather.

Flight inspection ensures the integrity of instrument approaches and airway procedures that constitute national airspace infrastructures. The ICAO Member States fulfill their requirements through the airborne inspection of all space and ground-based instrument flight procedures and the validation of electronic signals in space.

With the advent of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), States now have the ability to implement GNSS procedures without a corresponding ground infrastructure. This technology has made the ICASC education process even more important. The ICASC information sharing process promotes airspace system safety by encouraging competency of flight calibration services worldwide to avoid the indiscriminate use of GNSS without the proper certification as required by ICAO.

Products & Services

Products & Services

This listing is for convenience. Products and Services is a contact listing of Flight Inspection, Validation, Procedure Designers, Manufacturing, Integration and Research Companies and Institutions.

ICASC strives to ensure the accuracy of this information during the registration process of the International Flight Inspection Symposiums (IFIS) and through direct contact with ICASC members and the Executive Secretariat. Please be aware that this listing of organizations does not constitute and endorsement or approval by ICASC. Any commercial information and details like capabilities, methods and equipment should be described on the organizations web page.

Please Contact us to register or modify entries in this section.

Contact

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