Flight tests held at Pontoise airfield in France and conducted as part of the EU-funded CORUS-XUAM project simulating avoidance manoeuvres in three different real-world scenarios, have “proved that safe flight with urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft is possible” according to a statement on the CORDIS website.
The statement continues: “Three European enterprises – global navigation satellite systems experts M3 Systems (France), light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel (Slovenia) and UAM company Volocopter (Germany) – have completed their first joint flight test campaign in France. The purpose of these flights tests is to simulate different real-world scenarios in which unmanned traffic management (UTM) and air traffic management (ATM) can operate jointly with different types of aircraft.
“The successful flight tests were carried out using M3 Systems’ BOREAL unmanned aircraft system (UAS), Pipistrel’s crewed electric aircraft Velis Electro, and Volocopter’s full-scale, remotely piloted 2X electric vertical take-off and landing multicopter prototype. Pipistrel used the conventional ATM tower and system while Volocopter and M3 Systems used the UTM system provided by CORUS-XUAM project partner Hologarde, France.
“The real-world scenarios tested during the week-long campaign included unforeseen circumstances such as complete airport or vertiport closure, an unavailable final approach and take-off (FATO) area, and traffic deconfliction. More specifically, a situation involving unexpected occupancy of a FATO area and aircraft diversion due to priority landing given to another aircraft was tested with Pipistrel and Volocopter aircraft. A flight path diversion scenario due to the closure of an airport or vertiport provided the opportunity to test M3 Systems’ UAS. Last but not least, a flight path diversion with two aircraft sharing the same airspace was tested using Volocopter aircraft and M3 Systems’ UAS.”
For more information
https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442425-urban-air-mobility-flight-tests-in-france-a-success
(Image: Pipestrel)
