As a private pilot i fly motorized airplanes in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

My license allows me to fly only on sight. Also known as VFR (visual flight rules). This means i have to look outside to avoid collisions with other aircraft.

For navigation i use a navigation-app on a tablet in the cockpit. This allows me to navigate through the different types of airspace.

But there was something missing. I wanted to know if there was any traffic in the vicinity that could be a reason to change my heading or altitude to maintain separation.

To get traffic warnings on my navigation device I knew I had to use a traffic receiver, but all receivers i’ve found only showed me ADS-B traffic, not MODE-S traffic. Traffic that most of the general aviation in Europe is flying with.

This triggered me to built a receiver myself with the ability to receive as much as traffic. Not only ADS-B, but also Mode-S, FLARM and many more.

Want to know more about the result? You will find it here: The receiver