uAvionix, operating at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) Emerging Aviation Technology Center, completed a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight in non-segregated airspace using aviation protected C-Band, says the company press release. Serving as the Command and Control Communications Service Provider (C2CSP), uAvionix completed the flights for CNO, FAA and industry leaders to demonstrate the effectiveness of combining Command and Control (C2) link management and situational awareness for Detect and Avoid (DAA) through the company’s SkyLine software service offering. The flight is the culmination of a multi-year effort involving engineering, operations teams and regulatory review, and paves the way for UAS operators and businesses to develop scalable UAS operations such as medical and package delivery, linear utility inspection, and emergency management.
uAvionix, recently received FCC approval, coordinated with the FAA, to operate its airborne and ground radio stations on C-Band for command and control during BVLOS flights. Managed by the SkyLine cloud-based software service, the SkyLink airborne and SkyStation ground-based radios are designed to assure uninterrupted and optimized communication with the aircraft across the terrain of the CNO UAS test site which is similar to conditions often found by businesses performing utility inspections or long range medical and cargo delivery.
The C2CSP system for the Super Volo aircraft used in the flight included the uAvionix muLTELink5060 airborne radio and four SkyLink5060 ground radios deployed across the 44,500+ acre UAS test site. The SkyLine system continuously monitored each link between the ground stations and aircraft to optimally determine the best link for reliable command and control. When needed, the system proactively completed make-before-break connections to switch between available ground stations, while detect and avoid data from terrestrial sensors deployed in the UAS test range delivered situational awareness to the Remote Pilot in Command.
For more information visit:
