Within U-ELCOME Project, Bluenest by Globalvia carries out four drone test flights near a hospital and an airport in Madrid

Four flights were carried out by Bluenest by Globalvia in 30 minutes time: the first two were test flights and the other two were tests of logistics flights focused on use cases, in the framework of U-ELCOME Project.

The flights were carried out last 21st February in the surroundings of Cantoblanco Hospital (Madrid – Spain).

The height reached in the four flights was 40 meters above the ground and the following sensors were used for the proper development of the tests:

• ADSB & Tranponder > To be seen by ATC
• Sound level meter > To gather noise info for KPI fullfilling during the takeoff at different distances
• Anemometer > To operate the drone safely

During the demo flight session the following devices and systems were used as well:

• DRI – Dronetag (EASA certified) > To issue the position where the aircraft is located
• UTM: ITG USSP – DALIAH (prior AIRUS) > To show the position, heading and other flight data of the aircraft issued by the DRI

Every flight was monitored by APP and HMI. Everything was possible thanks to the flight permit granted by AESA and the excellent coordination with Barajas Airport and Hospital Universitario La Paz.

The U-ELCOME project was launched 15 months ago with funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) in cooperation with the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking as one of its flagship Digital Sky Demonstrators (DSDs).

Drones have the potential to greatly support Europe's shift towards a green and digital economy. Addressing safety, security, privacy, social acceptance, and environmental concerns while creating a sustainable economic environment for the growth of the European drone industry is crucial. U-space services and smart traffic management solutions will be key in enabling drone operations and reaching the necessary high level of integration with Air Traffic Management (ATM).

U-ELCOME is a 3-year SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrator project, involving 51 partners whose overall aim is to support the market uptake of U1 and U2 services. With demonstrations taking place in three European countries, the project aims to develop interoperability and support EU harmonisation of U-space services. Taking into consideration the various U-Space actors and stakeholders this project values collaboration and information-sharing. Join us to find out more about the research project and what activities are planned and how the project hopes to make U-space a European reality.

About U-ELCOME
U-ELCOME has a budget of 14 million euros financed with CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) funds.It has a timeframe until October 2025 to implement and deploy U-Space in order to enable real application in the cases mentioned above, as well as to support its future regulation and standardization.

This project has received funding from European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under grant agreement No. 101079171.