There are many things that a drone pilot must pay attention to while flying an operation outside in public airspace, the first being the position of the drone itself, but they also need to be aware of other aircraft in the area. In many cases, information on where other aircraft is located comes from a UAS system on a tablet used in the field. While effective, glancing down at screen multiple times during a flight can be a major distraction and cause disruptions to your own flight.
uAvionix has come up with a solution to keep pilots’ eyes on the skies with their new wearable ADS-B system, skyAlert. Showcased at XPONENTIAL 2025, this compact wearable device detects aircraft through ADS-B channels and can sense an aircraft up to 20 miles away. The skyAlert features a customizable alert zone, users can set their own distance alerts ranging from detections 1 mile away to 20 miles away. The device sounds reoccurring audible alerts when aircraft has entered the set threshold. It detects aircraft on both 978 and 1090 MHz, ensuring that all aircraft, manned or unmanned, is detected to provide an extra level of safety for everyone in the airspace.
What sets skyAlert apart from other ADS-B solutions is that it’s compact and portable. It has minimal set up time for pilots and doesn’t require any ground equipment to connect to. The device has a rechargeable battery with a 12-hour life, perfect for long days flying in rural areas. The device easily clips onto belts or shoulder straps, making it the perfect handsfree device. “Pilots can now keep their eyes on the skies instead of down at a tablet” Christian Ramsey, Chief Commercial Officer at uaVionix explained to CUAV News at XPONENTIAL.
It's anticipated that this device will be a critical piece of technology for first responders in disaster and emergency response where there are multiple aircraft flying at the scene. Especially in conditions where visibility is hindered like intense storms or wildfires, having this technology that doesn’t rely on optics provides another level of safety and risk prevention in an already fragile situation. Other areas that this device will serve include utility inspections, agricultural operations, and mobile UAS operations.
skyAlert is available for pre-orders now.
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