Rapid Progress in
Autonomous FlightText by Divan Muller
Photographs courtesy of Reliable RoboticsLaunched by SpaceX and Tesla veterans, Reliable Robotics has made great strides in the development of unmanned aircraft technology. Recently, the company revealed some of its milestones in pioneering unmanned aviation.Based in California, Reliable Robotics was founded in 2017 by Robert Rose and Juerg Frefel. Robert Rose, who previously led development teams at Tesla, SpaceX and Google’s X, has considerable experience in engineering systems for robotics, self-driving vehicles and the aerospace industry. Co-founder Juerg Frefel, developed systems for the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX.
With a staff complement of about thirty people, the Reliable Robotics team began modifying a Cessna 172 in December 2017. Before the end of the next year, the 172 completed its first fully automated gate-to-gate remotely operated flight. Then, in September 2019, the aircraft completed another automated flight, this time without any test pilots onboard. It was the first time a privately funded company operated a passenger aircraft of this type with no pilot on board over a populated region. “We spent the first portion of our flight test programme focused on the C172. We thoroughly tested every aspect of our system in simulation and conducted rigorous safety checks before operating the aircraft without a pilot on board and are now proud to share what we’ve been working on,” said Robert Rose in a company press release.
According to the release, the Cessna 172 was equipped with a “proprietary autonomous platform that can be applied to any fixed-wing aircraft. The platform includes avionics, software, mechanisms, a communications system, remote control interfaces, along with a backup system that has the capability to take over if needed. Following the C172 programme, it was adapted for use on the larger Cessna 208.”
As it happened, the first automated Cessna 208 test flight took place in June this year, with a fully automated landing taking place soon thereafter. To find out more about the technology in these aircraft, Aviation News Journal spoke with Robert Rose.
According to Rose, “People have been flying autonomous aircraft for some time, the military has been doing this for a while, but I think what makes our demonstration unique, is we are not a military funded programme. This is private money.
“We also got approval to fly over a populated area. I don’t believe that’s ever been done before through a completely privately funded programme. But more importantly, we set out from day one with certification in mind.” He mentioned that many of the components the company has developed are certifiable. “We are now working with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) on getting this approved for use in a civilian and commercial capacity,” he added.
Do these aircraft fly with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning? Not quite. In the words of Rose, “There is artificial intelligence in the sense that it is an intelligent system, but it is not AI in the deep learning sense by any stretch. There is no regulatory basis for flying machine learning or deep learning systems in airplanes yet. We wanted to focus on what can be done right now.”This does not mean Reliable Robotics makes use of a regular autopilot system. “I wish we could have bought an off-the-shelf autopilot,” said Rose. “The fact is nobody makes an autopilot that can handle all phases of flight: taxi, take-off and landing,” he added. “The other problem is that they don’t handle failures gracefully… If you’re going to automate the entire aircraft, and you’re not going to have a pilot in there, then you need something that can not only detect failures, but also respond to them immediately. So, we set out to go built it. A lot of the methodologies and principles that we’re following echo what we developed at SpaceX.”
In terms of equipment, what exactly does it take to automate a small cargo aircraft, such as a Cessna 208? “We have developed custom computers, software, mechanisms, communication systems, ground control centres, back end data network for transferring all of the data between the aircraft and the control centre…” Rose mentioned that “actuators are another thing that we have spent a great deal of time developing. You can’t buy actuators of the shelf that are suitable for automating the aircraft to this degree.”
Looking at the rate at which Reliable Robotics has achieved its milestones, it is impressive how quickly the team has made progress. “This is really a testament to the simulation capability that we have developed,” remarked Rose. “We felt from the beginning that it was of crucial importance that we build a simulation capability for our aircraft that the world has never seen before!” The team was able to model flight dynamics with great accuracy, with the result that systems worked remarkable well during actual test flights, saving a significant amount of time.
For further information, as well as more recent news on the development of autonomous cargo flights, please visit www.reliable.coBACCARAT 2020
War in the MountainsText and photography by Roelof-Jan Gort and Bjorn van der Flier of flyhighaeromedia.comThe fourth edition of Exercise Baccarat, organized by the French Army’s (Armée de Terre) 4th Air Combat Brigade (4e Brigade d’Aérocombat - 4e BAC), took place in the French Alps during the second and third weeks of September. The 24th Infantry Regiment (24e Régiment d'Infanterie - 24e RI), the only army unit composed exclusively of operational reservists, took part in it and, as with the previous Baccarat exercises, the focus was on high-intensity combat, but this time in a mountainous environment.
Thirty-eight aircraft (seven different types) from the 1st, 3rd and 5th Combat Helicopter Regiments (Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat – rhc), as well as 1,600 soldiers, mainly from the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, were mobilized for the exercise. As with previous exercises, Baccarat 2020 had a placed some emphasis on cooperating with allies. The United Kingdom contributed three wah-64d Apache attack helicopters from the 4th Army Air Corps Regiment, along with a detachment of 45 soldiers. The wah-64d Apaches were based in Valence-Chabeuil Airport in the southeast of France.
The exercise took place on “a quadrilateral area of 150 by 250 km and included a live-fire zone in the Mailly and Sissonne training areas, as well as an exercise zone in the region of Valence – Grenoble – Gap – Briançon”. Although it has been reduced compared with previous editions, this exercise pursues the same objective, namely “to validate the know-how acquired by the combined arms units at the end of a year of training, facing a conventional enemy equipped with the latest generation equipment, capable of leading high-intensity symmetrical combat".According to the strategic vision unveiled by the Army Chief of Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, the French Army must now prepare for “high intensity” combat, which has become a “very likely option”.
The French Army is preparing to face an enemy comparable with itself, namely a professional army. In other words, it is no longer simply training to fight armed groups installed in Mali, Chad, Niger or Burkina Faso. From January 11, 2013, France has indeed been involved in the Sahel. On the ground, the fight against terrorism is essentially based on intelligence and the destruction of a poorly trained, poorly organized, poorly equipped and often very young enemy. Currently, 5,100 French soldiers are deployed in the Sahel-Saharan strip. Given that Operation Barkhane (the large anti-insurgency operation in Africa) is France's largest operation outside its national territory, the Army must know how to face the challenges of the future, in addition to current threats.
During this 2020 edition of Baccarat, we were welcomed to the Grenoble Le Versoud Airfield, which at the time had been turned into a temporary air base. About twenty helicopters were based there during the exercise. The 5th rhc from Pau had sent ec665 Tiger and nh90 Caïman helicopters, while the 1st rhc from Phalsbourg contributed nh90 Caïmans and sa 342m Gazelles, and the 3rd rhc from Etain had sent sa 342m Gazelle and Puma helicopters. The ealat (French Army Aviation School) had sent some as555un Fennecs which were used for training and liaison missions.
Beside these helicopters stationed at Grenoble Le Versoud Airfield, additional helicopters were parked and operating from various sites, including forward arming and refueling points (FARPS) in the mountains.We visited the army base at Varces-Allières-et-Risset, home of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, where a complete mobile military camp had been set up. It was the central operations centre from which the entire operation was coordinated and managed. There was also a mobile military hospital which had been recently declared operational.
We spoke with Lieutenant Laurent of the 1st rhc, who is normally based in Phalsbourg-Bourscheid in the northeast of France, about the experience he had gained throughout his career and the now recent Exercise Baccarat.
Lt Laurent has been flying the nh90 Caïman for about four years and has about 500 flight hours on this helicopter. Lt Laurent said, “I chose to fly on the nh90 Caïman because it was brand new in the French Army. I have to say that it is a fantastic machine and it is much better than its predecessor, the Puma, on all fronts. Flying in the French Alps is an exercise in itself. The rapidly changing weather, the steep slopes and the powerlines are all factors to take into account. But we can fly without any restrictions, because we have no height restrictions, due to the powerful engines”.
During Exercise Baccarat, nh90 Caïmans flew different profiles, and all normal troop duties were tested in the high mountains. The versatility of the nh90 Caïman came in very handy, flying with or without a door-gunner, fast-roping from the side doors or via the ramp at the back, spie (Special Purpose Insertion Extraction), rigging, which is a rapid extraction procedure in which several commandos hang on a rope under the helicopter. Rigging is especially important in the Alps because it is not always possible to land. Depending on the configuration, the nh90 can transport up to sixteen fully equipped commandos.
The nh90 Caïman is able to fly in difficult conditions, thanks to its modern sensors and electronics. Forward Looking Infra-red (flir) is displayed on a integral display in the pilot’s helmet and gives him/her all the necessary information he/she needs.
The rotary assets of the 4th bac include the 1er rhc, based in Phalsbourg, close to Strasbourg and the border with Germany, include a mixed fleet of nh90, Tigre and Gazelle helicoptes. The 3ème rhc, located in Etain, is equipped with Gazelles and Pumas. The largest unit, situated in south France, is 5ème rhc, which operates a mixed fleet of Gazelle, Tigre, Cougar and Caïman helicopters.
Pau is also home to the 4ème Régiment d’Hélicoptères des Forces Spéciales (rhfs) that provides air support to the French Special Forces.French Army Aviation Helicopters
(Aviation légère de l’armée de Terre - alat)
The 4e bac is currently equipped with about 150 helicopters, with a number of aircraft deployed overseas on a rotational basis. About 20 percent of the 4e bac’s helicopters took part in Exercise Baccarat.
The sa330b Puma has been the main troop transport aircraft for the alat from the 1970s and has gone through a number of upgrades, including composite blades, a defensive aids suite and a communication upgrade. The alat plans to continue flying the Puma until 2030.
In 2007, the French government placed an initial order of 34 nh90-tths to replace the Puma in the long term. The first fully operational nh90 was delivered in 2012, followed a year later by the official hand over to the 1er rhc at Phalsbourg. The first deployment of two nh90s to Mali took place in 2014.
The alat expressed a need for 150 nh90-tths. This was later revised to 133. In 2010, an order of 34 units was confirmed. In September 2018, with the deliveries to the 1er rhc completed, the 5er rhc in Pau began its transformation. In 2020, 43 machines were online. Accustomed to operational engagement outside France, the nh90 was involved in an extraordinary mission: Operation Resilience, which, from March 18 to April 5, 2020, dedicated part of the air resources of the Armed Forces Ministry to the transfer of covid 19 patients.
From 1973, the alat has operated the light single-engine multi-role Gazelle in a number of configurations, and despite their age, as with the Puma, it is planned to keep Gazelles in service until 2030. The current sa342m variant is night-vision goggles (nvg) compatible and is primarily an anti-tank platform, capable of carrying four tube-launched mdba hot missiles. It was originally fitted with the sfim apx M397 sighting system, but has been upgraded with the safran Viviane sight. This is a stabilized, roof-mounted sight with a direct through-the-lens view or an infrared image and a laser rangefinder effective up to 5 km. It is mounted above the system operator and required structural reinforcement to the roof due to the sights’ increased weight. The AS350’s main blades were retrofitted on the Gazelle to increase its performance and maximum take-off weight (mtow).
For a relatively young brigade, Exercise Baccarat was a real test for those who
participated in it.
Air mobility is not unique to the 4ème bac and working with its European allies is an opportunity to develop tactics and develop mutually beneficial procedures, which can be carried forward in the future. Every exercise of this scale provides units with the opportunity to implement realistic scenarios combining rotary and ground maneuvers, taking advantage of the changing pace offered by the helicopters.
We would like to thank Press Officer Gabriel, Captain Sandra, captain Nathalie and the crew of the 1er rhc nh90 Caïman for their hospitality and all their help during our visit.Selling Aircraft During
COVID-19By Kathy Wrobel of Prairie Aircraft Sales - www.prairieaircraft.comIt has been a very busy year with aircraft sales here at Prairie Aircraft Sales Ltd.
The year started off great; we were in the midst of the springtime shows when
everything came to a screeching halt. March, all into lockdown.I remember driving back from Edmonton early the next morning after the show was shut down thinking about the hundreds of people I had seen in the last month with the other shows I had been attending. The handshakes, hugs and close conversations.
When I did get home I self isolated for 2 weeks and worked from home. My husband and I both continued to work from home for about 6 weeks. When he was called back to work I also returned to my office at Springbank Airport.
I continued to travel, and having my own aircraft to get around in was a huge benefit. ( I highly recommend it, and I can help you achieve that!) I was able to fly everywhere to view aircraft and meet clients in a fast and efficient manner. What a lifesaver that was and still is for that matter.
With proper precautions and social distancing, meeting with clients, and viewing and reviewing aircraft has not been a problem at all.
Some of our out of Country buyers are challenged by not being able to touch and feel an aircraft prior to purchase. They are not allowed into the country and owners are not prepared to move an aircraft just for someone to look at without a commitment. These folks are few and far between and the majority of buyers have confidence in the shops that we have here to do the inspections for them and we are able to deliver the aircraft without a problem as the pilots are essential services.
There are many options with our current technology to see an aircraft when you are not able to view it in person including face time, digital photos, and video. The key is to have trust in the people you are dealing with. I know that is sometimes hard for some and impossible for others, but we do what we can to provide the buyers with that comfort level and it has worked well many times over.
There are so many excellent maintenance shops that are able to do very detailed inspections and complete imports/exports for the buyers/sellers that movements out of the country have hardly slowed down at all. For our clients from the United States, we are able to have the aircraft fully US registered before it leaves the country, that way the buyer can start flying their new aircraft as soon as they get it. It is a process, but all the work is done behind the scenes by our team of experts and the process appears seamless to the buyer and seller.
We are even able to do the test flight for the buyer and the pilot can show the systems working via video. Nothing is off limits with today’s technology, let’s let it work for us in these current times where we are not able to have all the face to face we had before.
Aircraft of all sizes are able to be sold in this fashion. Some of the shops for the larger aircraft have a longer wait time for inspections, mainly as there are not as many available, but we still have that option to do it right here in Canada as opposed to always taking an aircraft to the US for inspections and prebuys.
Let’s keep our work here, let’s use our local shops, if the buyers south of the border want our aircraft, which they do, they can have the aircraft completely US registered by our own facilities and delivered by our own ferry pilots. That way we keep the work here, support our own facilities, and still get the job completed with efficiency and expertise. Those who insist it must be their maintenance shop or they will not proceed, miss out on a great aircraft. We don’t worry about the deals that go that way, as there are always other buyers for a good aircraft.
When Covid first hit we had buyers making very low offers trying to take advantage of the fear that values would drop dramatically. We did not encourage that behaviour and as it turned out, the opposite has been true.
More people want their own aircraft and feel safer flying in an atmosphere they have control over. Buyers are looking for faster more efficient aircraft to take them longer distances. I certainly understand that as it is really working for me in my day to day business.
Commercial flights are much fewer and farther between as well as triple the price they used to be. Where you could previously take a commercial flight for $250.00, that same flight is now $700.00. I can fly my own aircraft for far less than that, keep my own schedule, and stay safe.
So let’s get flying everyone, if you have an aircraft and you have not been flying, get it in the air or call us to find it a new home so that it can be where it needs to be, in the sky. There are so many aircraft that I see sitting, waiting for someone to take them to the skies. There are many pilots looking for a good aircraft to fly, let’s get them together!
Even if you have an aircraft that has been sitting for a while and you are concerned about the condition, there are numerous shops that will take that project on and get it ready for flight. Time to get the aircraft in the air people, let’s fly,
fly safe, and have fun!