DEMONA Demonstration of UAS Integration for VLL Airspace Operations

In Austria, permissions for unmanned aircraft are restricted to operations conducted within the direct line of sight of the remote pilot, and they must maintain flight altitudes well below 150 meters above ground level (UAS Class 1). The feasibility of safe operations for UAS beyond visual line of sight (UAS Class 2) is hindered by several challenges. These challenges include the absence of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) related to the Command-and-Control link (C2 link) of unmanned aircraft, effective collision avoidance measures against terrain and other aircraft (Detect & Avoid), as well as the required navigation performance to manage the flight path in coordination with air traffic. Additionally, ICAO Manuals on Aircraft Performance do not encompass unmanned aircraft. The DEMONA project aimed to significantly advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of these critical areas.

The project team has established three overarching goals to enhance the global recognition of the research they intend to conduct. On the aircraft system level and within the technical/operational framework, the project aims to create a certifiable reference architecture for small Class-2 UAS and a reference architecture for a minimally equipped ground control station for UAS operation. These architectures encompassed the aforementioned elements. Utilizing this reference system, the project executed a flight demonstration of a Class-2 UAS in “G” airspace class, a first-of-its-kind occurrence in Austria. Furthermore, a Galileo-based UAS flight was conducted using this system. In addition to these achievements, the project seeked to develop a knowledge base related to UAS instrument procedures and tested a GNSS-based automated landing approach for a Class-2 UAS.