uAvionix, operating on the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Emerging Aviation Technology Center, has accomplished the primary true Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight in non-segregated airspace using aviation protected C-Band in the USA.
Flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) is a gateway to business applications at scale, enabling most of the most respected drone operaions including delivery, linear utility and transportation infrastructure inspection, and emergency services. To successfully operate BVLOS at scale, nonetheless, operators must exhibit that they’ll maintain complete control of the vehicle from a distance – requiring a solid link between the bottom control station and the aircraft, known as Command and Control or C2. Operators must also exhibit that they’ve a radical awareness of the aircraft’s surroundings, and that the aircraft can detect and avoid (DAA) any obstacles that could be in its path. uAvionix SkyLine solution is designed to administer each issues. From the uAvionix press release:
Serving because the Command and Control Communications Service Provider (C2CSP), uAvionix accomplished the historic flights for CNO, FAA and industry leaders to exhibit the effectiveness of mixing Command and Control (C2) link management and situational awareness for Detect and Avoid (DAA) through the corporate’s SkyLine software service offering.
“The SkyLine software provides link management and detect and avoid services across multiple frequencies and data inputs to form the cornerstone of an FCC and two FAA BVLOS waivers,” said Paul Beard, founder and CTO of uAvionix. “It’s the only C2CSP service designed to RTCA DO-377A and DO-362A standards for aviation, and enables us to fly without chase vehicles, visual observers, or requiring other nearby aircraft to have their very own detect and avoid sensors on board. It is actually an excellent piece of engineering and operations by the uAvionix team.”
uAvionix recently received FCC approval, coordinated with the FAA, to operate its airborne and ground radio stations on aviation protected C-Band for command and control during BVLOS flights. Managed by the SkyLine cloud-based software service, the SkyLink airborne and SkyStation ground-based radios assured uninterrupted and optimized communication, even in rough terrain.
The C2CSP system for the Super Volo aircraft utilized in the flight included the uAvionix muLTELink5060 airborne radio and 4 SkyLink5060 ground radios deployed across the 44,500+ acre UAS test site. The SkyLine system repeatedly monitored each link between the bottom stations and aircraft to optimally determine one of the best link for reliable command and control. When needed, the system proactively accomplished make-before-break connections to change between available ground stations, while detect and avoid data from terrestrial sensors deployed within the UAS test range delivered situational awareness to the Distant Pilot in Command.
“The forethought, innovation, and technical knowledge of uAvionix are evident throughout this historic operation,” noted James Grimley, Executive Director for the Choctaw Nation Oklahoma Emerging Aviation Technologies Center. “Our purpose on the test site is to derive value for the CNO by enabling businesses to see and evaluate UAS technologies that may meet their operational needs for BVLOS flights. With uAvionix, we’re capable of exhibit an entire system for C2 and DAA that’s aviation-grade, approved by regulators, easy to deploy, doesn’t depend on third-party communication networks, and infinitely scalable. Together we now have created a technical and operational system that’s the inspiration for others to securely operate UAS for quite a lot of safety critical, long range and better altitude missions that may deliver economic and cultural value in our communities.”
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