As the first in Denmark, SDU UAS Center has been granted authorization to conduct an autonomous BVLOS flight under the coming European safety regulations. The flight was conducted on 14th of September 2018 at UAS Denmark’s DemoDay in HCA Airport.
The drone was a Cumulus V1 from the Danish drone manufacturer Sky-Watch and it flew a planned route of 26,5 km over Northern Funen in the dedicated drone airspace. The flight took 40 min and proceeded as planned.
BVLOS flights in Europe require an authorization, which among others comprises a SORA risk assessment. SORA stands for Specific Operations Risk Assessment and implies a risk analysis of the unmanned aircraft flight with special focus on risks of collision in the air and on the ground. The risk analysis describes the risk elements that may occur on the route, and documents how these are taken into account. The SORA method is an important element in the coming EU regulations, that are expected to be enacted on a national level in 2019. The regulations have been issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA.
The fact that SDU UAS Center as the first in Denmark, and one of the first in Europe, has conducted the SORA risk assessment, contributes to expanding Denmark’s potential in the drone area. The experiences from this first flight are of great value to SDU UAS Center’s future BVLOS flights and to our collaboration with companies seeking to release the business potential of drones.
Facts on BVLOS flight
Mission height: 300m
Duration: 39:45 min
Longitude: 26,5 km
Longest distance to home: app. 8,1 km
Wind velocity: 8-10 m/s
Battery status: 75% when landing
