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Tag: FAA approval

  • uAvionix receives FCC/FAA approval for C-band BVLOS operations

    uAvionix receives FCC/FAA approval for C-band BVLOS operations

     

    Image: uAvionix
    Image: uAvionix

    uAvionix has received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval, coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to operate its SkyLink C-band command and control (C2) radios for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Emerging Technology test site.

    The radios — operating on aviation-protected C-band frequencies — will be controlled by uAvionix’s SkyLine cloud-based C2 network solution that supports fleet management, network health monitoring, detect and avoid, and roaming between multiple radio networks and ground stations.

    According to uAvionix, with the BVLOS Waiver, businesses looking to use aviation-protected C-band and other radio networks for assured control and non-payload communications can now develop, test and implement solutions for business initiatives such as package delivery and medical resupply.

    With over 200,000 tribal members and more than 11,000 employees, the Choctaw Nation is the third largest Indian nation in the United States. It is developing an aviation test facility in southeastern Oklahoma that utilizes more than 44,600 acres of remote land it tribally owns to support the innovative research, development, test and evaluation of emerging manned and unmanned aerial system technologies in a safe and low-risk environment.

    Interested businesses should contact the Choctaw Nation and uAvionix to support implementation and scaling of uncrewed aerial system operations with multiple C2 links including aviation protected C-band.

  • FAA approves BVLOS operations for Choctaw Nation

    FAA approves BVLOS operations for Choctaw Nation

    Image: uAvionix
    Image: uAvionix

    The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Beyond Program and uAvionix have received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. The approval signifies uAvionix and the CNO have demonstrated to the FAA that the aircraft procedures, detect-and-avoid systems and control network meet the safety requirement for operation in the national airspace.

    This is the second BVLOS waiver granted by the FAA for the combinations of uAvionix SkyLine software and SkyLink hardware, allowing UAV pilots operating at the CNO range to use only an electronic observer.

    The CNO will be using uAvionix SkyLine command-and-control (C2) management platform and pingStation3 dual-mode ADS-B receivers at the Emerging Aviation Technology Center UAS Test Range. The SkyLine C2 management platform is integrated with the DeTect Harrier radar for surveillance, and is used to control several CNO and uAvionix owned electric vehicle takeoff and landing aircraft through muLTElink and SkyLink series C2 radios.

    “Having this capability available at CNO enables our customers to conduct testing and demonstration in Oklahoma and will further serve as guidance for future applications leveraging this concept of operations,” said uAvionix President Christian Ramsey.

  • Iris Automation launches ground-based surveillance system for UAVs

    Iris Automation launches ground-based surveillance system for UAVs

    Photo: Iris Automation
    Photo: Iris Automation

    Iris Automation has announced the commercial availability of Casia G, a ground-based version of its detect-and-avoid surveillance solution.

    Using the same patented artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-vision technology as Iris Automation’s onboard solutions, Casia G provides 360° optical detection with alerts. It enables operators to avoid both cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft for safe beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight.

    Casia G creates a perimeter of monitored airspace for UAVs to perform work safely, without additional payload. It’s suitable for operations in fixed or temporary locations, supporting drone-in-the-box operations and augmenting or replacing human visual observers. BVLOS flight for unmanned systems has been challenging due to right of way concerns, specifically the inability for unmanned aircraft to successfully see and avoid other aircraft.

    “A human has sufficient visual acuity to see airborne traffic only within a +/-5 degree field of view around our focal point. We have to scan the sky, and are frankly not very good at it,” said Jon Damush, CEO, Iris Automation. “Casia G sees the entire sky, with uniform probability and resolution, 10 times per second — without distractions or breaks. This  solution for airspace awareness covers a large majority of small UAS use cases, but at a price point that is economically viable and without complex integration.”

    Casia G can be expanded by adding additional units in a mesh to create a network of detection nodes for large-area air risk mitigation. The system then provides a single feed of cooperative and non-cooperative air traffic, available to an operator’s traffic management system. This provides a path to approvals for both larger area and one-to-many operations by enabling a holistic view of the airspace, the company said.

    Casia G has already obtained a BVLOS waiver on behalf of the City of Reno. Iris Automation is in the process of proving additional deployment patterns and concepts of operation with the FAA.

  • FAA gives go-ahead for Amazon drone-delivery tests

    FAA gives go-ahead for Amazon drone-delivery tests

    Amazon's latest delivery drone design was unveiled in June 2019. (Photo: Amazon)
    Amazon’s latest delivery drone design was unveiled in June 2019. (Photo: Amazon)

    Amazon has received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to use drones to deliver packages, which Amazon says will reduce package delivery time to as little as a half-hour.

    The approval will give Amazon broad privileges to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers,” the FAA said.

    Amazon joins UPS and Alphabet-owned Wing, which previously won FAA approval for their drone delivery operations.

    The approval falls under Part 135 of FAA regulations, which regulates package delivery by drone. All part 135 participants must go through a five-phase process for certification.

    “The FAA is encouraging innovation through the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) by working with industry, state, local, and tribal governments to realize the benefits of drones, while informing future rules and regulations,” according to the FAA.

    “Participants in these programs are among the first to prove their concepts, including package delivery by drone through part 135 air carrier certification. Part 135 certification is the only path for small drones to carry the property of another for compensation beyond visual line of sight.”

    Amazon said it will use the FAA’s certification to begin testing customer deliveries. The company said it went through rigorous training and submitted detailed evidence that its drone delivery operations are safe, including demonstrating the technology for FAA inspectors.

  • uAvionix receives FAA qualification for ADS-B transmitter

    uAvionix receives FAA qualification for ADS-B transmitter

    Photo:
    Photo: uAvionix

    uAvionix has received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for the Vehicle Tracking Unit (VTU-20) Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) transmitter for airport surface management.

    uAvionix is a designer and manufacturer of communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) equipment for unmanned and manned aircraft.

    Adhering to the performance and design assurance specifications of FAA-E-3032, the externally mounted VTU-20 ensures integration and interoperability with Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) and ADS-B receiver surveillance solutions for airport
    surface control and situational awareness.

    The VTU-20 can be permanently or magnetically mounted to all airside vehicles, including utility, emergency, snow-removal and maintenance equipment. Each vehicle is clearly and uniquely identified, providing an essential addition to any surface movement guidance and control system.

    The VTU-20 implements FAA-approved Squitter Transmission Maps to automatically enable transmission on airport movement areas and disable transmission in low-risk areas or outside airport airside operations.

    “Ground vehicle incursions into critical safety and movement areas is on the rise. With this achievement, uAvionix continues to promote safety and common situational awareness not only in the airspace but also on the airport surface,” states Christian Ramsey, uAvionix president.

    This recent uAvionix achievement will be made available through an exclusive relationship with L3Harris Technologies, Inc., a leader in surveillance and air traffic management known for the Symphony product line of airport operations and environmental compliance solutions — to promote and sell the VTU-20 in the United States.

    For sales inquiries or questions, contact L3Harris Symphony VTU-20 sales at [email protected], or uAvionix at [email protected].