Poland is implementing a nationwide UTM system based on the DroneRadar (https://droneradar.eu/) flight planning/authorisation app.
Around 1,100 drone operators are daily using DroneRadar’s airspace status and flight authorisation tool; the DAMS (Drone Awareness and Monitoring System) is now fully integrated within the airspace planning system of the national air navigation service provider, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA).
The smart phone/tablet based tool has three major functions:
- It analyzes the airspace environment based on aeronautical data supplied by AIP Poland, airspace use plan and NOTAMs illustrating the airspace situation with three green, yellow, red lights to show the availability of airspace in terms of time and place.
- Second, it offers the possibility of two-way non-verbal communication between air traffic services (ATS) and the drone operator, providing exchange of information on flight approvals and updates.
- Third, it provides an automated, bi-directional emergency response service where the air traffic service operators can inform drone users about a requirement for immediate landing – where emergency helicopter operations are required, for example, or where the drone operator can report a loss of control over the drone. This information is transmitted electronically to the PAZP services
At the start of 2018 the tool was processing around 60,000 airspace availability checks a month.
According to a recent PANSA press release: “As part of the conducted tests, the Polish Air Navigation Service Agency received access to the DroneRadar administrator panel at the aerodrome towers of Gdansk, Cracow, Poznan and Lodz, thus providing air traffic controllers with the ability to visualize the drone flight areas. The same access to the application is available for Flight Information Service at FIS Warsaw and Olsztyn sectors. Currently, work is under way on the implementation of applications throughout Poland.”
Meanwhile DroneRadar has announced that 9 June 9, 2018 will be the start-date of the DroneRadar Olympics. The event is being organised to highlight the safe use of drones in autonomous flight, with the prizes being awarded to operators of drones completing the fastest quarter-mile lap, the longest endurance flight and carrying the heaviest load in relation to their own weight. For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/Regulamin-Olimpiady-Droneradar
