The first demonstration for the single European sky air traffic management research program joint undertaking (SESAR) Gulf of Finland (GOF) unmanned airspace (U-space) project in Estonia and Finland will take place next month in Helsinki, the European Union said. U-space is designed to provide secure airspace access to drones.
According to the EU, the first part of the demonstration will involve urban drone fleet operations with police intervention. Altogether, the GOF demonstrations will run through August and cover seven scenarios of drone operations, including manned and unmanned aircraft in shared airspace. These demonstrations are designed to provide data toward implementing a shared U-space in Europe, including low-altitude airspace.
The Helsinki demonstration will be followed by long-distance multisensory forestry inspection flights in Asikkala, Finland; drones and manned aircraft sharing airspace in Pyhtää, Finland; urban drone operations in Tallinn, Estonia; powerline inspection in the Läänemaa, Estonia rural areas; a maritime search and rescue exercise with the Estonian border guard in Hiiumaa; international parcel drone delivery over the Gulf of Finland between Torbacka, Finland and Muraste, Estonia; and an urban Volocopter air-taxi flight from the Vantaa international airport to Helsinki.