# Detecting Drone and Aircraft Near-Misses in Real Time with AI-Powered Airspace Awareness - Event: NestGen ’26 - Published: October 2, 2026 - Length: 26:44 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/pAiOs8v-UQE/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## About this session A drone and a crewed aircraft can share the same piece of sky for a few seconds without either pilot ever knowing. Those seconds are where the risk lives, and most operators only find out about them afterwards - from a report, a complaint, or nothing at all. As autonomous flights become routine, knowing who else is in the air has to happen while the mission is running, not in the debrief. In this NestGen showcase, SafeSky will share how real-time airspace awareness detects drone and aircraft near-misses as they happen, and what drone programs should think through when building live traffic awareness into everyday operations. ## Transcript **[0:01]** Welcome back everybody. Welcome back to another NestJ session and we are very very very happy that you guys are joining in from all around the globe. So to introduce today's session every time one of our drones goes up it shares the skies with helicopters, light aircrafts, gliders, paramounters and increasingly other drones as well. Most of the time we don't see any of them. Safe Sky built a network that changes that. Over 75,000 pilots across Europe already use it and it pulls realtime traffic for more than 30 sources into one picture. Air rescue services like Edac fly with it. So does the Norwegian police. And just a few weeks ago, Safe Sky launched Sentinel, a free app built specifically for drone operators to see nearby traffic and make their own flights visible to everyone else. >> [snorts] >> Paul here is talk is going to talk about what happens when you can actually see who else **[1:03]** is in your airspace and what that means for scaling the veloc operations safely. Few housekeeping rules though drop your questions in the Q&A box that you see in the chat. Don't wait until the end. We will be addressing the questions at the end but please do drop the questions whenever you [laughter] get it. This session is also being recorded and it'll be available to you. But if you find any session or anything that is interesting, do take a screenshot and post on LinkedIn and just do hashtag next along with it as well. Paul, welcome to the stage. We very glad to have you here today. >> Hello all. Very happy to enter into the drone world. For me, that's the other world, a new world of aviation. I'm a pilot of general aviation and together with five autopilots we started safe sky five six years ago because we all afraid because in the air we just saw nothing only the airliners we could detect but all the other airspace uses helicopter free **[2:09]** flights gliders so were not visible to us and so we said in 2020 how is it possible that we have all the technology in our hands in our pocket on our cell phone. How can we use this technology to make ourselves visible and to see what's happening in the other world? Now, since six years now, there are over 100,000 GA pilots using this solution. And only since last year, we we saw that the new world is upcoming and that um autonomous flights are becoming more and more routine. So, next slide, please. Um, autonomous flights are becoming routine. So, knowing what else is in the air has to happen while the mission is running, not in the debrief afterwards. The same message, [clears throat] the same ambition as our ambition from Safe Sky six years ago. Why wouldn't we make all aircraft crude and uncrrew visible in the air? **[3:14]** Um, if you have ever been flying a drone where other aircraft are flying low, I can imagine that you are frightened, you are unsafe, you you feel uncertain uh because you do not see what happening in the air and you are responsible at the end. Um, and that's why where is uh the safe sky coming in. Uh we are trying to make all aircraft crruit and uncraft uh visible to each other and that in an electronical way visibly electronically so that flight data can be exchanged in real time without human intervention not ATC but on a simple and very efficient way directly. We are very very glad that Flight Blaze came [clears throat] this summer to um cooperate with our network and like many others now um to um to to cooperate in our collective ambition. Let's make all airspace users **[4:20]** visible. That's the guarantee of our living together and flying together safely in the future. Next slide, please. So uh what are we doing? In fact um there are maybe over 30 ways to make your aircraft GA or drones visible. The problem is however that all these systems existing systems for a long time or new systems are not interoper interoperable. They don't talk to each other. They do not understand each other. So like for example ADSB is used by airliners but is very fewly used by other general aviation users. Uh gliders have their own systems by uh by fararmat is a system for paragliders. You can't imagine the numbers of systems and devices that are existing where all people try to to become visible and to see the the other. But as I said it's like **[5:22]** the tower of Babylon. um those systems do not talk to each other that means they are not sharing the data and that's exactly where safe sky comes in. Safe sky tried to collect all this data from [clears throat] all these different sources and to uh collect them and to bring them together to filter them and to work on it to make sure that they can be sent back to all those uh sources. Next slide please. Now this is a big and a huge work by safe sky because sometimes uh traffic data is uh is coming in over plenty of sources. So we have to timestamp them to dduplicate them and to format them into um format that can be exchanged and and would be interoperable and usable for all the different systems that are on the market actually. So we are aggregating all these data collecting them and formatting them so that it can be used for all systems and device uh that are existing. **[6:28]** Next slide please. Now we have an extremely nice example at the moment is the first in in Europe in Norway where all actors drone actors um different um of different authorities and and private companies together with the general aviation community sit together and decided let's use the safe sky network to interchange our data. We'll keep our own systems but we will be visible for each other. And since a couple of months since beginning of this year this is now really re going forward and maybe 80% of all GA and all drones are visible in Norway. That's the way to go. It is it doesn't need any new investment. It's just cooperating uh sharing the data between the different uh actors be it um private companies be it device operators be it uh drone operators all kinds of activities in the air can **[7:31]** share now in in Norway these data that means they are visible to each other they can take into account now I do not want to go into details of all the different systems that are existing thing it's too complicated and it it has no use. But we are trying to uh um to bring all these data from different sources ground ground stations devices directly integration or applications that are used by drone and and G aviation world to try to collect them and to bring them together. That's the magic of safe sky and that's the ambition and the wonder of the the whole thing is that it doesn't need any new investment. It just co cooperative sharing of the data. Next slide please. Yep. Now **[8:31]** there are different for drone world there are different ways to become visible and to get the data. The simple one is like a drone tag. There's other systems also. Drone tag uh is a very small and and lightweight device that sends it position to from the drone. It's real time position from the drone world from the drone to the drone world through the um over the the drone tag network. There are other ways of being becoming uh uh visible and one is uh for example the the newest invention that we uh we put it on the market. It's the next slide please. Yeah. We uh we created uh for general aviation six years ago the safe sky application for flying people man aircraft to make themselves visible and to see the other and since two months we created also a special uh application for drone operators for for vlo **[9:38]** operations um a free app enabling drone simple operators to say look I'm here I push the button I'm here I'm active in at in this uh circle cylinder up to that altitude and I will be visible for other aircrafts and at the same time I get warnings whenever there is another aircraft or or another drone entering into this zone. So an extremely easy very simple just using the cell phone of the drone operator saying I'm here I'm active at this time in real time. This is for vlo operations. Now for beos operations uh we have different systems and FlytBase is one of the systems that has uh uh in that has incorporated the whole technology of safe sky of exchanging and sharing data into their software platform. That means all people using the FlytBase uh software do not need to uh apply for **[10:41]** another system or another device that just by using the FlytBase um software they can become visible and at the same time getting the uh the traffic data from the safe sky over direct APIs between the different services. Next. Now we as we have collected all those data over the last three years, tremendous numbers of data. Uh we are able to use this and to uh to use this this data um for um historical analysis for example to uh have a view on what was happening on a Monday in June last year at between 8 and 9:00. Was there any traffic general aviation traffic or drone traffic uh at that time or not? So we can make a real databased picture of reality from what what was happening at a certain moment. That means we can project **[11:46]** and we can determine the the real risk um and events based on data and based on these historical data. We can have trends. We can see what's happening. we can see where where possible near collisions has have happened to make sure that we create this historical vision on what's happening in in real time. This is extremely important for the Sora reporting and Sora uh risk analysis and um and the uh the project the projection of our activities. If you know that in the weekend there is there is many activity of general aviation in the vicinity of of an airport of an airfield then you know there is a real risk. But if you fly on Monday morning between 8 and 9 you can be nearly sure there is no risk because there is no activity of general aviation in that period or in that region. That's the aim and **[12:47]** this is making the Sora reporting and Sora um authorizations much easier uh because it gives you confidence and it give confidence to the authorities that we are really working based on data and not on assumptions. Next one. Um one thing which was very eyeopening for general aviation was uh studies that we made for the authorities in Netherland and in uh in in France. Um we calculated on the basis of real data the real um near misses in those countries for a certain period. We were really astonished because pilots do not see each other by their eyes. We are we are no birds. We don't see um with our eyes all traffic and especially in some cases um our sight is not is blocked by the cockpit by the ALS by everything and by the fact that most GA pilots **[13:50]** do not look enough outside and on the basis of these statistics we could um uh replay real near misses and we were so astonished about the numbers the real numbers and the real risks when we saw this when the authorities see that that there are so many near misses in that in some regions uh we are getting really really afraid and we this is a real message that we launched with safe sky and the authorities at European level please let's make us visible uh electronically let's sharing our data to each other to uh to avoid these kind of the air misses and this is at the same time also the next slide please. Oh, that's okay. Um, we can make reports, post-flight um, reports showing what was really happening and showing to the authorities that we had a real risk analysis based on historical **[14:51]** facts that we had a real mitigation um, measures taken. And then we can show afterwards on based on the real um, aircrafts in in our uh, region or um, cylinder where we are active. show that in fact there was no real real risk at that moment. So showing that we are complying with all the uh requests from the authorities. Now um looking to do whole this whole history and whole evolution we think that electronic conspicuity as we call it in Europe and uh that is uh that is the way to go. Our vision for the future for both crude and uncrrewed um aircraft is flying safely together in a common airspace. No separate airspace. not by bureaucracy, not by rules, by regulation, but by simple using uh existing **[15:52]** technologies and cooperation between all actors. That's why we would we are very glad that FlytBase and other companies are um joining the this whole cooperating uh activity and it makes um development of beos activities even more um possible in the future. That's from my side. >> Thank you so much. Uh that was a great session. Uh Paul, thank you so much for that. And like you mentioned there are a lot of stuff that um you had covered and as far as I understand we BB loss operations are becoming huge and and BB loss operations um when you're running it when it's beyond visual line of sight it becomes very important that you actually understand your airspace and you actually understand **[16:52]** where your drones are flying so that these collisions that you just mentioned wouldn't happen and in Europe Sura is huge and we vas of worlds are huge and I think this would be a great addition to a lot of these ROC providers and all these partners who are flying different docks and um remote operations as well. Uh we do have a few questions however for you. Uh one being um just give me a minute I'll start sharing these questions. Um so suppose a drone does not want it to be identified and goes to great length for example flying too close to the ground and since there is no new system developed for this purpose how does safe skies handle the scenario? Well, there are two two elements. Uh the first thing which is the same for general aviation. Some pilots do not want to be seen for whatever reasons. We think this is a very bad attitude because if you want a safe airspace for all **[17:55]** flying drones, drones and and man aviation, we have to see each other. And drones are not visible for general aviation pilots. They can't see them by their eyes. It's impossible. So if you don't make yourself visible, you avoid other people. You are making you're endangering the airspace. Now the advantage of the system of safe sky which using mostly cellular networks not only but cellular networks is that networks are very well covered at the lower airspace. So the uh the networks mobile networks are extremely efficient even up to the ground as your mobile phone is there and it's it has connection. So there's no reason not to be visible. The the advantage is that you can and that's the policy of of safe sky and most of most of the actors you can be **[18:56]** visible without identification who individually you are. A pilot can say, "Look, I'm flying with the name of my dog." That's no problem. We are not interested in the name of the pilot. We are interested in the fact that at that point, at that altitude, in this direction, there's someone flying. So, we have to convince the whole community of drone operators, but also of general aviation pilots to say, "Look, you can no longer flying without being visible. You don't need to identify you, but you need to show up where you are flying because you're endangering other aircraft airspace users. >> Yeah, I agree with you Paul on that. Uh I mean without knowing who's on the other side, it becomes even more dangerous for us to operate in such a crowded airspace as well. Uh well that's taken. Uh we have another question on is historical data complete enough to justify the ARC reduction. **[20:00]** >> Absolutely. Um it's difficult to say how what is the percentage of the um activity that is visible in a safe sky network because nobody knows what is 100%. But in in Sora in in Sora in [snorts] some cases you can reduce when when you see 50% of all flying object in that region but as we are pushing further for visibility of all aircraft and it's going extremely fast over the last months we are extremely confident that we can show that our historical data are becoming better and better and on the basis of that we can really show practice. For example, on a Monday in June this year, on a the same Monday, the year before or two years before, we see that more and more people are becoming uh visible. Um in the after reports, you can compare with the historical uh data. **[21:00]** So, we have all the data to make sure that we can approach this in a in a reasonable way. And we got we got some examples of RSC reductions from some authorities in Norway for example or in Belgium >> right um okay we have the next question it's um have safe sky ever triggered a real automated response like grounding a drone because a man aircraft was too close >> um it's no it's not safe sky who is doing it for general aviation pilot. He is alerted that there is um an activity 1 minute before uh possible impact. So the pilot general aviation pilot has to reply. For drones you have the same with the the safe sky sentinel uh application for the vlo operation the small one. the pilot start his uh his session and he is be he is warned whenever there's some other **[22:05]** traffic in his vicinity and then he can land the the drone but there are systems like in the FlytBase or in other DJI software there is a possibility that this system as such whenever someone is coming too close that the the drone can then come down so it's not up to safe sky it's up to the user to um to organize Yeah, I think that's where the integration as well matters, right? Like um it's not just about uh you know um showing the the traffic exists, it's also about giving the awareness and giving them the sort of alerts that they require and I think safe sky is already working towards that. Ah >> maybe one element um if you use a sentinel application or the safe sky application there's also an oral warning in your head headset or in your ear earphones that you're um aware traffic 2:00 100 ft above. So it's up to the the **[23:07]** pilot on the base of this alert to take the measures. >> That's great. Uh cool. I uh I hope that answered the person's question but uh let's quickly move ahead. Okay, Daniel here asked does Safe Sky have aeronautical charts, airspace warnings, DRS and covering crude and uncrrewed aircrafts displayed in real time. >> Uh on the safe sky app we have this information. Uh but the aim of the safe sky is not to become a navigation software. Um there are many other and better systems for it but there is there is basic information on airspace warnings uh no time nots airspace warning especially and and charts. Uh but the the advantage is you can take the traffic of safe sky and take it into your navigation program for a general aviation pilot. So you can use this traffic from safe sky into your navigation **[24:08]** program like sky demon forflight and all these uh other stuff used by the pilots. >> Right. Um the last question, how accurate is this detection? So can it distinguish between a helicopter at 500 ft and a commercial aircraft at 5,000 ft? And does it matter how the alert is triggered? That's a little bit complicated because all depends [clears throat] of the source of the u the traffic data for ADSB for example for an airliner this is extremely extremely precise >> um for mobile detection it's extremely precise but there are some other like uh some free apps from free um J aviation um that are not so precise ice and there is an a lot of technical aspect because um um general aviation is giving it uh altitude **[25:09]** in a different way as drones. Drones operate mostly on GPS basis. ADSB and all the traditional services are working on radio signals and a shared frequency. Um so what is safe sky doing is trying to find out what is the best available uh pos uh altitude position. So it can be that it is not accurate up to 50 ft or 500 ft but in case of helicopters and commercial aircraft it is rather precise >> right that makes sense. Uh I think that's it. Any other questions from anybody, please feel free to uh drop it in the Q&A tab. Uh we'll be taking them. But uh thank you so much Paul. Uh we'll wait for just a minute or so to see if more people have questions to ask. But that has been a wonderful session. Uh and for those of you who want to ask Paul for more **[26:09]** questions, I'm dropping his LinkedIn down in the chat box. So you can ask him for more questions and also contact safe sky for more integrations. Uh but thank you Paul. Thanks for joining in and I see no questions and we're looking forward to the uh collaboration in the future as well. >> Great. Thank you. Thank you all. >> Thank you so much. Thanks everybody for joining in. Bye-bye. >> Bye-bye. That is interesting.