M3 Systems, Pipistrel and Volocopter Complete First Flight Test in France

M3 Systems, Pipistrel, and Volocopter have completed their first flight test called the CORUS-XUAM project in France at Pontoise airfield by simulating three real-world circumstances.

The scenarios include a complete airport or vertiport closure, an unavailable final approach and takeoff (FATO) area, and traffic deconfliction.

The campaign aims to achieve smooth interaction within and between the new lower airspace’s unmanned traffic management (UTM) and existing standard civil aviation ATM systems.

Pipistrel had used the conventional ATM tower and system while Volocopter and M3 Systems used the UTM system.

“The CORUS project and Paris demonstrations clearly show how UAM vehicles will be able to fly safely in regular airspace post-2030 and will help to unlock new lower-noise and lower-emission air passenger and air cargo services,” said Gabriel Massey, President and Managing Director, Pipistrel.

With a significant increase in traffic density in the lower airspace, the current ATM systems can no longer handle large-scale operations and new forms of aviation focusing on sustainable, digital, and autonomous air mobility.

The CORUS-XUAM project, funded by the European Union’s initiative Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Joint Undertaking, will continue to proactively test and create a safe and controlled lower airspace under the European Union’s ambitious Single European Sky (SES) initiative throughout 2022.

The flight tests at Pontoise airfield near Paris were conducted with M3 System’s BOREAL remotely piloted aircraft system, Pipistrel’s crewed Velis Electro with the world’s only type-certified electric aircraft, and Volocopter’s full-scale, remotely piloted 2X prototype.

“These successful tests confirm that our BOREAL UAS will be an enabler for future XUAM operations in situations where aircraft need to safely divert paths to another vertiport due to an unforeseen closure or another aircraft in the air,” said Marc Pollina, CEO, M3 Systems.

Oliver Reinhardt, Chief Risk and Certification Officer, Volocopter, said he looks forward to the next CORUS-XUAM test flights later this year in Germany.