The Finland-based Robonic Arctic Test UAV Flight Centre is proposing the development of a common European unmanned air vehicle flight training centre around its UAV flight test centre at Kemijärvi on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
The concept mirrors European air force proposals for a single common fast-jet pilot training centre, but would pursue both civil and military markets. Robonic wants to develop an international consortium to establish the centre, with this potentially including acquisition and operation of a fleet of training UAVs.
“There is the potential for the proposed new venture to become a common European facility, reducing the requirement for national specific UAV training capabilities for both military and civil users,” says Robonic managing director Juha Moisio.
Robonics greenfield site at Kemijärvi |
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“That emerging regulatory environment will demand the development of a comprehensive approach to UAV pilot training, raising a near-term opportunity that is not currently being offered within either the European or international aviation environments.”
There are few airspace regions available within Europe to support training and qualification Moisio says, with this also strengthening the case for development of a centralised approach to meeting expected market requirements. “Reactions have been positive; there has been clear interest in it.”
He adds: “The growth of the UAV market is dependent on the safe sharing of airspace by UAVs with other aviation types, meaning the training of UAV pilots to an appropriate skills level must be a primary objective to ensure aviation safety standards are maintained.”
The proposed training centre would follow a phased approach to implementation, potentially mirroring manned aircraft training regimes in its initial phases, says Moisio. “We have to come up with a regime that will provide the readiness for pilots with minimal changes to existing safe operating practices. We have to start from the presumption of compliance rather than dramatic change.”
Acquisition of the centre’s own UAVs could involve a tiered approach ranging from basic trainers to more advanced types, but final decisions remain dependent on feasibility study outcomes and likely customer requirements. Similar consideration is being given to simulation based training systems.
Later elements of centre development could include operator and payload specialist training. “We are looking at this in the scoping work that we are doing.”
Source: FlightGlobal.com
