NUAIR Partners with CAL Analytics and FAA to develop methods for certifying detect and avoid services for drone operations

To help unlock the full potential and economic advantage of routine commercial drone operations like medical and package deliveries, NUAIR is deploying the CAL Analytics detect and avoid (DAA) service and contingency management platform (CMP) within New York’s 50-mile Drone Corridor. These technologies will help NUAIR safely test beyond visual line of sight drone operations, a key component in unlocking the commercial drone industry.

CAL Analytics announced today that it is deploying its detect and avoid (DAA) service and contingency management platform (CMP) within New York’s 50-mile Drone Corridor and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) Test Site at Griffiss International Airport, managed by NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.). The organizations are working jointly on a Technical Assistance program with the FAA to enable and approve a DAA service for low-altitude beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations.

Current regulations require drone operators to always have a pair of human eyes visually monitoring the airspace in which the drone is flying, limiting the ability to fly long distances. Without being able to see the drone, the system needs the ability to detect and avoid obstacles in the air and on the ground to assure the safety of both crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The ability to safely fly BVLOS is the key to unlocking the full potential and economic advantage of routine commercial drone operations like medical and package deliveries.

“This upgrade to the 50-mile Drone Corridor between Rome and Syracuse will help integrate detect and avoid technology to further the safe advancement of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace and unlock the true potential of commercial drone operations,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “We look forward to the fruit this partnership between CAL Analytics and the FAA will bear at Oneida County’s Test Site, which continues to flourish under NUAIR’s management.”

The DAA service will be CAL’s newest UAS traffic management (UTM) service being brought to market and builds off their existing contingency management platform (CMP), which provides a suite of UTM services. CAL’s CMP will offer critical airspace services, including situational awareness from Kongsberg, conflict detection from CAL, health monitoring by ResilienX, and various weather services from TruWeather Solutions to help ensure the safe operation of uncrewed aircraft.

“We’re excited to partner with NUAIR and working directly with the FAA to get our DAA service approved for small UAS,” said Dr. Sean Calhoun, managing director of CAL Analytics. “This will go a long way towards validating several of the DAA standards, including those from ASTM-F38 and RTCA SC-147, and opening the skies for safe BVLOS drone operations.”

The BVLOS flight operations will be performed by NUAIR who manages operations of the New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, one of just seven FAA-designated UAS test sites in the United States. The CAL technology will provide several key services to enabling safe BVLOS operations within New York’s 50-mile UAS Corridor instrumented with radar, communication networks, including 5G, and other leading-edge technologies that facilitate advanced drone operations.

“One of the most important recommendations from the recent BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee was for the FAA to develop a methodology for approving safety-critical UTM services for BVLOS,” said NUAIR Chief Technology Officer Andy Thurling. “NUAIR is working with our partners at CAL Analytics and the FAA to do just that.”

NUAIR and its alliance of partners, including CAL Analytics, ResilienX, TruWeather Solutions, and more will be showcasing their technologies and latest advancements at the upcoming AUVSI XPONENTIAL conference in Orlando, Florida, April 25-28. The companies are part of the GENIUS NY booth #1761, highlighting leading-edge companies in Central New York and taking applications for the next round of the $3 million business acceleration competition that is GENIUS NY.

NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.) is a New York-based nonprofit with a mission to safely integrate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace, enabling scalable, economically viable commercial drone operations. NUAIR manages operations of the FAA-designated New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport, Rome, NY on behalf of Oneida County and is responsible for the advancement of New York’s 50-mile UAS Corridor between Rome and Syracuse, NY.

CAL Analytics is a small business focusing on the development of aviation and autonomous systems. The company provides airspace management and operations software for AAM applications. Located in Dayton, OH, and founded in 2010, CAL Analytics has expertise in uncrewed aircraft systems, navigation systems, remote sensing, signal analysis, and information fusion.