Definition
The capability of an unmanned aircraft to sense other aircraft or hazards in its vicinity and take appropriate action to remain well clear and avoid a collision, replacing the see-and-avoid responsibility carried out by a pilot in a manned aircraft.
Plain English
A system on a drone or unmanned aircraft that spots other aircraft nearby and steers clear of them, doing the job a human pilot's eyes would normally do.
Context Anchor
Seen most often in unmanned aircraft operations, traffic separation discussions, and collision-avoidance requirements.
Derivation
Detect comes from a Latin word meaning “to uncover” or “find out.” Avoid comes through French from a word meaning “to get out of the way.” Together, the phrase points to the two required steps: first find the hazard, then stay out of its way.
Why Pilots Care
Allows drones to share airspace safely with manned aircraft without requiring constant visual monitoring by a remote pilot.
Intuition Check
Do not read Detect And Avoid as just “seeing something.” In aviation, it means both detecting the hazard and taking timely action to stay safely clear.
Example Sentence 1
Before the operator could fly the drone beyond visual line of sight, the aircraft had to be equipped with an approved Detect and Avoid system.
Example Sentence 2
FAA approval for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights requires demonstrated detect and avoid performance.