U.K. Launches Unmanned Aircraft Civilian Flight
Testing Center
Woodrow Bellamy III
Airport authorities and aviation officials launched the National Aeronautical Center (NAC), the U.K.'s first testing center for the development of operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in civilian airspace, on Monday at two airports near Wales.
Launched as a partnership between West Wales Airport and Newquay Cornwall Airport, the dual location facility allows developers access to km of segregated airspace between the two airports. Both airports have opened areas for offshore testing and opened up runways and facilities to allow researchers to collect data about how unmanned aircraft can be safely integrated into the civilian airspace.
Ray Mann, head of the NAC, calls the center "an opportunity for the UK to lead the way," in the global marketplace for commercial UAS platforms. Mann also deflected negative "perceptions of civilian use of UAS," stating that these perceptions could hinder the U.K.'s ability to capitalize on the "opportunity for economic growth" within the UAS industry.
The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has authorized the civilian use of beyond line of sight UAS operations at West Wales Airport since 2004. NAC will be used to further develop new operating procedures and technologies that govern the integration of UAS into civil airspace in the U.K.
The center is similar to the types of facilities that FAA is currently seeking in the United States, and opened a year ahead of the agency's plan to open six UAS testing sites within the National Airspace System (NAS).
"The value of the UAS market has been forecast to be 30 billion per year by in the military sector alone. With the creation of the NAC, the U.K. is currently better placed than most others to create significant and sustainable economic benefit from this new industry, both from the military and civilian marketplace," said Richard Deakin, CEO of NATS said.
Unmanned cargo aircraft concept
The UK National Aeronautical Center will support test flights of both civil and military UAS; an unmanned cargo aircraft concept is shown. (Photo: NAC)
Two UK airports have joined to create a “National Aeronautical Center” (NAC) to develop, test and demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). West Wales Airport at Aberporth and Newquay Cornwall Airport in southwest England will jointly offer their facilities and runways, along with access to offshore testing areas, to UAS developers. The partners officially launched the center at the Royal Society in London
West Wales Airport (WWA) has operated UAS beyond visual line of sight sinc under authorization from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Speaking at the launch event, Ray Mann, WWA managing director, said the pairing with Newquay Cornwall Airport enhances the resources available for training and testing of both civil and military UAS. Newquay has a foot runway, compared to WWA’s feet, and access to square miles of offshore test airspace, bringing total available airspace to square miles. The NAC provides the capability to test “anything developed by the aerospace industry over the next
Richard Deakin, CEO of air navigation service provider NATS, said authorities are planning for operations of the Thales Watchkeeper UAS in controlled airspace, which would be “a world first.” The European Union’s Single European Sky ATM Research (Sesar) program is funding the effort, which could lead to Watchkeeper flights next summer following simulations outside controlled airspace in April. The Watchkeeper, under development for the British Army, has flown for four years at WWA, accumulating more than flights. Selex ES has also used the facility for its Falco UAS, Mann said.
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