ParcAberporth, on the west coast of Wales, is aiming to be Europe's premier unmanned air vehicle (UAV) development and testing facility and has organised what is being billed as Europe's largest flying demonstration of UAVs in civilian airspace.
To be held on 7 September this year, ParcAberporth Unmanned Systems has so far received 11 flight applications from nine companies, which, if approved by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), would be the largest number of UAVs to fly in non-segregated air space. The event line-up was announced at the show on Wednesday.
"We are aware of unmanned systems being flown on ranges but this will be an incredible spectacle and will be unprecedented in Europe," says David Swallow, the Welsh General Assembly's head of aerospace.
Transatlantic
One of the highlights, if approved, is sure to be a transatlantic crossing by an Aerosonde/Lockheed Martin UAV, which would fly from Virginia to Aberporth. This would be the second time Aerosonde crossed the Atlantic, the first having been in 1998. Other companies that have applied to fly are EADS, Thales, Elbit, Qinetiq, Schiebel, Aurora Flight Sciences and Remote Services.
Source: Flight Daily News
