The European R&D project Investigate IFR RPAS Control in Airports and TMA (INVIRCAT) is co-funded by the European Commission in the framework of the H2020 Research and Innovation Program, through the SESAR Program, under grant agreement number 893375.
The INVIRCAT R&D project develops a Concept of Operations for the efficient and safe integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) at airports and airport Terminal Control Areas (TMA) under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). To this end, it sets out its basis in requirements, simulation exercises and recommendations, which are intended for legislators and standardization bodies. Special attention is given to the impact of latency, automatic take-off and landing (ATOL) and the handover of RPA control between different Ground Control Stations (GCS).
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) introduced in 2015 the classification of unmanned aircraft: open, specific and certified. INVIRCAT assumes that IFR RPAS are part of the certified category, with requirements comparable to those of manned aviation. In addition, INVIRCAT aims to support the evaluation of the introduction of RPAs in Class A, B and C controlled airspaces, based on ICAO standards.
The four main objectives of the project are:
- Development of a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the integration of RPAS in TMA areas under IFR rules.
- Definition of technical and operational requirements for the integration of RPAS in TMA operations.
- Investigation of the means of integration of remote piloting stations located at airports for the control of RPAS in a TMA: infrastructure, interfaces and requirements.
- Accommodation and integration in the U-space.
The Isdefe team participating in the project as a member of the consortium was initially coordinated by Mariano Gomez Plaza of the Technological Modernization and Digital Transformation Department and finally by Esther Nistal Cabañas of Isdefe’s Transport, Energy and ICT Department.
For further information, please contact innovacion@isdefe.es
