On Friday, December 3, 2021 the first BVLOS (= Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights of an UAV took place at the Test Facility for Autonomous Flights (Testfeld eFliegen BW, ICAO Code EDTM) in Mengen. They were carried out by a team of the iFR (Institute of Flight Mechanics and Control of the University of Stuttgart) led by Mr. Pauli.
All flights could be completed in the planned time slot (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) within the controlled airspace of Regio Airport Mengen during the regular opening hours of the airport. Also the presence of high wind speeds of up to 32 km/h could not hinder the execution of the planned flights. The UAV being used is a flying wing (modified Opterra 2m) with electric propulsion, 2m wingspan and approx. 2.4 kg take-off mass.
Facts of the BVLOS flights on Friday, December 3, 2021 in Mengen:
- Number of flights: 3
- Total flight distance: 47km
- Greatest distance from starting point: 2.05km
- Longest duration of a single flight: 17min
- Nominal altitude: 75-100m AGL
The dedicated BVLOS area of approx. 4 km² approved in 2021 was largely exhausted with the flights on Friday, December 3, 2021. Since January 2022, the newly granted permit extends the dedicated BVLOS area to over 2000 km².
Recorded trajectory of the 3rd BVLOS flight on Friday, December 3, 2021 at the Test Facility for Autonomous Flights in Mengen.
Photo: Created with Google Earth.