ATM - Air Traffic Management

ATM, or "air traffic management", is a generic term used in the aviation industry to summarize all systems that are required for the coordination of air traffic. This includes, among other things:

• Air traffic services
• Air traffic control
• Airspace management 
• Air traffic flow
• Capacity

The aim of ATM is to enable smooth, safe and economical air traffic in all phases of a flight. Air traffic management is used for all manned aircraft, whether passenger or cargo flights.

UTM - Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management

UTM - Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management describes a system that manages the harmonization between the ATM and UAS - Unmanned Aircraft System (mainly drones). 

A UTM serves as a safety system for drones in airspace. The system functions fully automatically and has the following features:

• Central database: All registered UAS, drone operators or geographical conditions are stored here 
• Mapping/ cartography: Airspace representation with topography, satellite images and road maps. No-fly zones and other airspaces are also displayed. 
• Positioning and flight tracking: Precise positioning, for example via mobile radio or transponder. In addition, the drone is continuously recorded and coordinated with other flying objects (manned and unmanned) to prevent flying accidents.
• Mission data processing: Recording the flight plans, including the take-off location, take-off time, flight route and planned landing location. The UTM system uses this data to check whether the flight plan complies with all the rules.
• Environmental data: Display of weather conditions. The environmental data records the magnetic radiation, which in turn can affect the GPS connection.
• Safety functions: Using the data collected from the previous functions, the UTM system can detect conflicts at an early stage and prevent them by possibly changing the flight plan.
• Mission planning: Based on the flight planning and the conflicts identified, the UTM system determines which flight path changes need to be made in order to resolve the conflicts.
• Planned: Conflict detection and conflict avoidance: In future, the UTM system is to automatically transmit conflict avoidance (including flight plan changes) to the drone in question.

With the help of this technology, drones are to be smoothly integrated into general ATM in the future. Benefit from our expertise and find out how you can successfully launch your own drone or drone application.

Markus Rossol, 0421/341494, markus.rossol@brm.de

C-class drones are a category of drones that are mainly used for recreational purposes or low-risk commercial activities. The C-class is therefore also known as the open class.

Here are the selected properties of the various C-classified drones (C0-C6):

• C0: Drones with a take-off weight of less than 250 grams. Toy drones also belong to the C0 class in the EU. No papers or requirements needed
• C1: All drones that do not fall into the C0 category and have a take-off weight of less than 900 grams. Licenses are required for this.
• C2: All drones that do not belong to C0 and C1 and have a take-off weight of less than 4 kilograms. Licenses are required for this
• C3: All drones that do not fall into C0, C1 or C2 and have a take-off weight of less than 25 kilograms. To use C3 drones, they must have a system for geosensitization and remote identification, just as for classes C1 and C2. Licenses are also required.
• C4: All drones that do not fall into C0, C1, C2 or C3 and do not exceed 25 kg take-off weight. However, no systems for c or remote identification must be present here. Which is why many model aircraft are assigned to this class. Licenses are required.
• C5: Modified drones of class C3, which do not have an adjustable altitude limit or geosensitization. Flying is only possible at special UAS.STS-01 sites or in the special category.
• C6: Modified drones of class C3, which do not have an adjustable altitude limit or geosensitization. In contrast to class C5, class C6 can also be powered by other types of propulsion. Flying is only permitted in the special category or at UAS.STS-02 sites.

For more information about e.g.: the special licenses that are required, please visit: https://www.dipul.de/homepage/de/informationen/kategorisierung-des-drohnenbetriebs/c-klassifiziertedrohnen/#accordion-1-6

Furthermore, Class C drones are classified into different operating categories:

• A1: Flying is permitted near people but not over a gathering of people. Related categories: C0 and C1
• A2: Flying at a medium distance from people. Related categories: C2
• A3: Flying only permitted far away from people. Related categories: C3 and C4

If you are interested or have any questions, please visit us at the ILA 2024 in Berlin. Markus and Harald Rossol brm@brm.de

Visit b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin and find out how your future drone and drone application can be successfully launched.
The two managing directors Markus Rossol and Harald Rossol are looking forward to many discussions.
You can meet us in the joint showroom of the North German states, located in CHALET EAST 22 - 24.

The b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH will be represented at the ILA in Berlin from June 5 to 9, 2024. The state of Bremen will present itself in the joint showcase of the northern German states, which is located in CHALET EAST 22 - 24

• AES Aircraft Elektro/Elektronik System GmbH
• AVIASPACE Bremen e.V.
• b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH
• DLR Virtual Product House (VPH)
• ECOMAT
• esploro projects GmbH
• Hanseatische Waren Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
• TRIGO ADR Germany GmbH

At the ILA 2024, b.r.m.. IT & Aerospace GmbH will be presenting its services and consulting for the U-Space Service Provider (USSP), UAS, SORA, VLOS and BVLOS operations.

From the development of the operating concept through to approval, even the most complex challenges of unmanned aviation can be mastered.

Our team of aviation experts will support you with your Advanced Air Mobility application, no matter what stage of development you are at.

Thanks to our many years of experience, from UAS development to the most comprehensive ascent permit in Europe covering over 3600 km², we give you the decisive time advantage to be successful in the dynamic drone market. As the future U-Space Service Provider (USSP) for the U-Space Geozones in the existing lower airspaces in which drones, UAS and other aircraft operate, we are at your side in all areas of flight guidance and authorizations.

Benefit from our UTM Data Services (Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management), including weather service, electronic visualization and digital air situation picture.

The Hatten-UAS German Flight Center is our test center for unmanned aviation and is located at the Oldenburg-Hatten EDWH airfield.

Hatten-UAS supports companies, authorities, organizations with security tasks, universities and research institutes in projects and product developments for unmanned aircraft systems.

With generous hangar space, licensed aircraft inspectors and an operating area that also allows mixed flight operations between manned and unmanned flight systems, we offer you everything from a single source - from ground testing to customer presentations.

Flugschule Borkum offers qualified training for your remote pilots for your UAS operations. As one of the first applicants for a "Light UAS Operator Certificate" (LUC), we support you in setting up professional flight operations.

Advanced Air Mobility Initiative Northwest Germany and German Bight & UAS Control Center Bremen (USSP)

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) refers to the integration of unmanned, automated and autonomous aircraft into the common airspace of manned aviation.

The aim of the Advanced Air Mobility Initiative Northwest Germany and German Bight (AAM-NW) is to gradually establish structures for UAS operations.

The main focus here is on considerably simplifying coordination, automation and increasing safety while taking all relevant airspace users into account.

Experience is to be gathered in a U-Space real laboratory in order to develop future highly automated operating strategies.

Focke-Wulf - 100 years of aircraft construction - Bremen celebrates

On January 2, 1924, "Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau A.G." began operations in Bremen. Even after 100 years, Bremen is still an outstanding location in the European aerospace industry and also the future UAS control center Bremen (USSP). This is how we are shaping the future of unmanned aviation.

Harald Rossol and Markus Rossol will be happy to provide you with further information at the ILA in Berlin.

You can reach us by telephone on +49 421 34 14 94 or by e-mail at brm@brm.de.

Visit b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH at the ILA 2024 in Berlin and find out how your future UAS application can be successfully launched.

You will meet us in the Community Schalet of the Northern German States, which is located in CHALET EAST 22 - 24.

Drone companies and projects from Bremen

The Bremen Economic Development Corporation (WFB) has published a comprehensive article on drone activities in Bremen.

https://www.wfb-bremen.de/de/page/stories/LuRa/drohnenunternehmen-bremen

b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH is part of it. Our company stands for the following topics:

• U-Space Service Provider (USSP) in all areas of flight guidance and approvals
• UTM Data Services, from weather services to electronic visualization and digital aerial imagery
• Bremen UAS control center (USSP)
• UAS, SORA, VLOS and BVLOS operations. From operational concept to approval, we can support projects in unmanned aviation
• Advanced Air Mobility Initiative Northwest Germany and German Bight

Bremen is also celebrating 100 years of aircraft construction this year
100 years later, Bremen is one of the outstanding locations in the European aerospace industry.
b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH is developing the future Bremen UAS control center (USSP) and
is taking another step towards the future of Bremen's aviation industry, unmanned aviation.

Visit us at the ILA 2024 in Berlin, we are in the Bremen network in CHALET EAST 22-24.

Markus and Harald Rossol
brm@brm.de

A sunny "Moin" from Niedersachsen Aviation Day! Today, Thursday, 07.09.2023, the 4th Niedersachsen Aviation Day will take place in Hildesheim. We are looking forward to exciting specialist presentations and insights into manned and unmanned aviation.

After the welcome by Stefan Schröder, Niedersachsen Aviation, and the host AutoGyro, represented by Mr. Gerald Speich, an extensive program will take place. As part of the series of lectures, our Managing Director Harald Rossol will talk about the advantages and current developments of the "Hatten-UAS" test center and its possibilities. Further highlights can be found in the program.

Drones are used for a wide variety of purposes. There are different flight maneuvers for the respective task of the drone. Drones are also increasingly being used for advertising purposes with cameras. The following 10 maneuvers are among the most commonly used for this purpose.

Simple flight maneuvers for all kinds of shots

For linear shots, which are typically used for transitions in videos, the operator steers the drone forwards or backwards at a constant speed. He usually uses the right stick to keep a constant view of the subject with the camera.

To illustrate the depth of a landscape, for example, you mainly use diagonal maneuvers. These are created by combining both sticks. The left stick is responsible for the flight altitude and the right stick for the horizontal direction. This results in a diagonal flight path. The drone can also be panned slightly with the left stick. This makes it possible to combine several motifs.

A dynamic one can be filmed with drones flying sideways, among other things. To do this, move the right stick to the left or right. It is important to note that the movement should be smooth and the subject should remain in the camera's field of vision during this flight maneuver. This maneuver is challenging.

It is particularly easy to orbit a subject smoothly with drones. To do this, move both sticks in the desired direction and create circular paths in an anti-clockwise or clockwise direction. This maneuver can also be performed in a spiral by using the left stick to move the drone up or down. The movement of the right stick should be slower in order to focus on the subject.

In a drone shot, the drone flies backwards and rises in the process. This increases the angle of view of the subject. To do this, press the left stick upwards and the right stick downwards. To do this, however, the camera's swivel arm must be at the same angle as the flight maneuver. For a certain dramatic effect in landscape shots, the drone flies vertically upwards. To do this, press the left stick upwards and point the camera downwards. This maneuver is called Rocket.

The pilot first flies the drone forwards and zooms out with the camera. If he then flies backwards and zooms in with the camera, a so-called vertigo effect is created, which is generated by the dollie zoom recording maneuver. Last but not least, there are overview shots in which the pilot moves the right stick up or down. At the same time, the camera is slowly tilted downwards.

You can also find more posts on our Instagram account.

State of Lower Saxony grants BVLOS ascent permit for a 3600 square kilometer area for drone testing

Bremen, 30.05.2023: The state aviation authority of Lower Saxony has now granted permission for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights of UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) in north-western Germany. The approval is a further milestone in the development of the project, which is being driven forward by Bremen-based b.r.m. IT & Aerospace in North-West Germany and the German Bight. b.r.m. IT & Aerospace is regarded as a leading developer of comprehensive digital services, including for BVLOS flights, which the company offers its customers as a future U-Space Service Provider (USSP).

The permit holder is Flugschule Borkum GmbH. Alongside Bremer b.r.m. IT & Aerospace with the new Hatten-UAS drone test center and the Oldenburg-Hatten airfield (EDWH), it is part of the group of companies owned by Bremen entrepreneurs Harald and Markus Rossol.

The permit for BVLOS drone operations covers a total area of 3600 square kilometers. It extends with a corridor over largely uninhabited areas from Hatten-UAS at the Oldenburg-Hatten VLP across the Jade Bay to the North Sea. North of the East Frisian Islands, it extends as far as the Dutch border (see diagram). The height limit is 120 m.

"The approval is an important step for us on the way to becoming a real laboratory for North-West Germany and the German Bight," says Markus Rossol, Managing Partner of b.r.m. IT & Aerospace. "It also paves the way for the more effective development of solutions for the orderly and coordinated coexistence of UAS from industrial, university and other civil operators and manned aircraft within the existing airspace structures."

Markus Rossol continues: "We are pursuing an integrative approach to drone operations as part of the U-Space Reallabor North-West Germany and German Bight, for which a strict spatial demarcation between UAS and manned aircraft is not a mandatory requirement. As a U-Space Service Provider, we are planning to set up the UAS Control Center Bremen (USSP) in our sustainably operated data center, through which we will offer our customers all the services required for drone operations under VFR, IFR and night VFR conditions. The aim is to significantly simplify coordination and automate UAS operations while increasing safety."

The approval from the Lower Saxony State Aviation Authority currently relates to test operations with the OptoPrecision VT-4 "Rochen". The UAS with a speed of up to 180 km/h, a flight mass of 100 kg and a range of 600 km was developed primarily for environmental monitoring. Systems such as ADS-B and FLARM are integrated into the UAS for mutual recognition in airspace and, if necessary, automated safe evasive maneuvers.

"We are very pleased that we have now acquired further well-known customers whose UAS we can easily include in the scope of approval with our expertise," says Markus Rossol. "Our unique combination of IT, USSP services and the provision of aeronautical infrastructure underpins our role as a leading service provider for the thriving UAS sector."

Would you like to find out more? Please contact us.

As a UAS operator (Unmanned Aircraft Systems operator) in Germany, you are required to have special insurance for your own drone. It is important to note that conventional private liability insurance does not usually cover any damage to the drone.

The first question is whether the drone to be insured is to be used privately or (also) commercially. In the case of commercial use, for example by our UAS consultant Markus Rossol, we recommend a combined insurance policy that covers both commercial and private use of the drones.

Compulsory insurance applies to all drones, multicopters and model aircraft. Drone insurance policies are available from around €15 per year, but in addition to the price, you should also consider the following factors.

The contract term

The contract terms of the various insurance models vary greatly. Most insurance policies are very flexible and the minimum contract term is often only 12 months. There are also offers with no minimum term at all, with monthly or even daily termination options.

The sum insured

Insurance policies with cover sums from 1.5 million euros are common. Larger sums of 20 to 50 million euros are also often offered. These models are usually linked to private liability insurance so that larger claims, such as personal injury, are also covered.

Amount of the deductible

The deductible refers to the personal contribution to be made to the claim amount in the event that the insurance has to be claimed. When choosing insurance, it should be noted that the amount of the excess is partly predetermined and partly freely selectable. There are also insurance policies with no excess at all. The principle usually applies here: the higher the excess, the lower the premium.

The geographical scope

Especially if you want to travel with your drone - whether privately or, like us, to trade fairs such as the AERO 2023 last week - you should definitely pay attention to the geographical scope of the drone insurance. Here, the offers differ in insurances with the scope of application Germany, Europe-wide or worldwide (sometimes with exceptions such as "worldwide without US territories"). An insurance policy with a worldwide geographical scope does not necessarily have to be more expensive than a policy that is only valid in Germany.

The area of application

As previously mentioned, it is important to consider whether the drone is only to be used privately or also commercially. If the drone insurance is linked to the private liability insurance, this usually excludes commercial use of the UAS. One way to cover commercial and private use in one insurance policy is to take out combined cover. Here, both usage scenarios are insured and it is also possible to book certain additional services.

The number of copters

Regardless of the area of application, it is important to decide how many copters are to be insured. If only your own drone is to be insured, this is usually noted with the serial number in the insurance policy. It is also possible to cover the flying of third-party drones in addition to your own drone. Please also note that a drone driver's license is required for flying common UAS with a take-off weight of 250 g or more. Since January 2021, you have been able to obtain the small drone license online from the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA). Here you will take part in an online training course followed by an exam to ensure that you have the basic knowledge required to fly a drone safely.

Number of insured taxpayers

The number of insured pilots determines whether and, if so, who other than you may pilot the insured drone. The various insurance models differentiate here between your own person, your own person and family members or your own person, family members, friends and strangers. In addition to insuring your own drone, labeling it is also mandatory in Germany. Self-adhesive aluminum stickers engraved with the eID and the EU drone registration number are best suited for this purpose. In the event of damage, for example, the EU drone registration number can be used to determine who owns the drone and how it is insured. Registration is required to obtain the eID (or UAS operator number). In Germany, you can register online to obtain your eID. Among other things, you will need to provide your drone insurance number.

Summary

Drone insurance is offered by numerous insurance companies. Some of these include Allianz, HUK Coburg, R+V Versicherung, Generali, ADAC and AXA. Regardless of whether you want to fly your own or someone else's UAS privately or commercially in Germany, you need appropriate drone liability insurance. The numerous insurance companies also offer numerous insurance models that cover a wide variety of usage scenarios. So decide in advance exactly where you want to fly your drone, who is allowed to control your drone and how high the sum insured including your excess should be in the event of a claim.

At the 61st general meeting of UAV DACH e.V., the association was restructured. The new basic program was also adopted.

The board of the association for unmanned aviation "UAV DACH e.V." was newly elected. Markus Rossol was elected to the new, broader-based board of the association as the board member responsible for Air & Ground Infrastructure. He thanks the members of the association for the trust they have placed in him and looks forward to a cooperative collaboration. Special thanks also go to the outgoing members of the Board, whose successful association work has accompanied UAV DACH e.V. to date.

Furthermore, the new basic program "inform, network and shape" now comes into force. This was previously adopted at the 60th General Assembly in November 2022. Further information can be found on the UAV DACH e.V. website. There are also new posts on our Instagram account.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday (November 29 and 30, 2022), the 60th Annual General Meeting of the UAV DACH e.V. - Association for Unmanned Aviation took place. The UAV DACH e.V. office had invited guests to the German Helicopter Center in Bückeburg. In addition to the extensive agenda items, there was of course plenty of time to talk about the drone economy and meet new and old faces.

Specialist groups and close cooperation with the authorities

The chairman of the association, Mr. Achim Friedl, led those present in the hall and those connected online through the extensive agenda. The addition of 18 new members brings the association to a total of 256 members from the various sectors of unmanned and manned aviation. Particular emphasis was placed on the work of the UAV Dach e.V. specialist group, which was carried out in closer cooperation with the various authorities.

AG Zukunft - New concept presented and adopted at the general meeting

In order to put the association on a solid footing for the future, the Future Working Group drew up a comprehensive concept. This was presented in detail on Tuesday and highlighted the association's good features and those in need of improvement. A number of resolutions were derived from this, such as the expansion of the Executive Board and a more division-specific structure. The members voted in favor of this future concept by a large majority, and the first part is already being implemented.

New interim Management Board

The new Board of UAV Dach will also be elected until the next Annual General Meeting in the new year, and an interim Board has been appointed to bridge this period. Mr. Achim Friedl, Ms. Sabrina John and Dr. Gerald Wissel were elected as interim board members at the general meeting to continue the business until the new board is elected.