The safe and equal integration of unmanned systems into general airspace is both a challenge and an opportunity. This is at least the view of the German Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF). UAS could certainly serve as an example for future developments with regard to the increasing digitalization of Hashtag#aviation. These and other encouraging signals regarding the creation of adequate framework conditions for the drone economy were given to UAV DACH board member Michael Wieland and Jan Eric Putze, Head of the Competence Group Infrastructure Airspace & Ground in the Association for Unmanned Aviation, during their visit to the BAF headquarters in Langen, Germany.
In discussions with BAF Director Dr. Karsten Baumann, Eva Julia Ramos Breilich and Juliane Eckel, the UAV DACH representatives addressed important issues for the implementation of economically sustainable UAS applications, such as drone operations in control zones or the establishment of special airspaces and structures for UAS, keyword: U-Space. However, the challenges associated with the (mis)use of unmanned systems in the context of major events were also discussed.
In the constructive discussion, Dr. Karsten Baumann was open to pragmatic approaches and procedures to test drone operations under practical conditions through exemptions and individual approvals and to gain valuable data for the future regulatory framework. On the one hand, this would make it easier to make the legal requirements effective and enabling. On the other hand, it would also allow insights to be gained at an early stage that could be valuable for upcoming developments in an increasingly digitalized aviation sector.
The Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services is the national supervisory authority for civil air navigation service providers in Germany and reports to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV). The meeting in Langen intensified existing contacts and promoted further exchange. As a member of the BAF-led Air Proximity Evaluation Group (APEG), UAV DACH has already been involved in the BAF's committee work for two years in order to analyze unplanned proximities between drones and manned aircraft and draw possible conclusions for future regulations.