Olaeris has performed a private flight demonstration of its AEVA unmanned aircraft system for a group of investors and aviation industry executives.
Set against the backdrop of stormy weather, high winds and a flash flood warning, the company said it could not have ordered a better day to demonstrate the robust capabilities of its aircraft.
Despite winds gusting to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour), AEVA darted around the closed course unaffected by the weather and executed a series of maneuvers designed to highlight flight stability, position holding accuracy, autonomy, safety and control.
“The weather definitely added an element of drama to the demonstration and it was a resounding success,” said Ted Lindsley, CEO. “Watching AEVA autonomously sprint against such strong headwinds and then softly land on target without human assistance was exciting for the crowd to watch.”
AEVA is the first unmanned aircraft designed from scratch to undergo Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type class certification and fly beyond line of sight in controlled airspace like manned helicopters.
The aircraft uses built-in sensors including radar, Lidar and ADSB to feel its way through the airspace and automatically avoid collision threats. Onboard processing power equivalent to two laptop computers crunches the sensor data in real-time, allowing the autopilots to make flight path corrections without human intervention. There’s always a human pilot in command, but acting primarily as a safety backup.
Since unveiling AEVA at Heli-Expo on March 1, 2016, Olaeris has received orders for more than 200 aircraft systems and has been selecting exclusive dealers in protected geographic territories while undergoing FAA type class certification.
Source: Press Release