In Australia there is no dedicated flight test range of facility available for civil UAS test and development. UAS operations are expanding and continue to demand focus from the regulators to safely integrate UAS and manned aircraft activity. Currently all UAS flights that do not fall within standard operating conditions require an application to CASA for approval to conduct the planned activity. Each application can take protracted time and this can significantly delay the development cycle.
UAS are becoming more prevalent and the number of applications for approval to CASA are increasing. It is possible to get approval test UAS of modest speed and size in close proximity to populated areas (within certain constraints). Testing of large platforms, testing at high speed or altitude or any form of autonomous testing need access to ground AND airspace where the associated risks can be managed.
This study provides a methodology that can be used to select an area that is suitable for a flight test range and to then define the safe boundaries for those operations. The methodology is presented and applied to the QinetiQ Flight Test Range (QFTR) in Cloncurry as an exemplar. The final key step is also presented – suggested pathways for range access to enable rapid access for UAS development. QinetiQ have developed this process and a range of tools to conduct this type of assessment. Importantly we have worked with and continue to work with CASA on this and other strategies to promote safe test of UAS platforms in Australia whilst maintaining equitable access to airspace.