Antea Group conducts longest continuous drone flight in the Netherlands

Between June 30 and July 4, the longest continuous drone flight to date is to take place, from Oranjewoud in The Netherlands to Copenhagen in Denmark.

Today, the initiator Antea Group is carrying out the dress rehearsal, covering 52 km in one flight: the longest continuous drone flight in the Netherlands. Due to regulations, this is done in the form of a ‘relay race'.

BVLOS vs. EVLOS

The record flight, titled Xpedition New Horizons, which is scheduled for the end of June, will extend over a distance of no less than 750 km (470 miles). This involves a lot of preparation, because European regulations do not yet provide for flights out of sight of the pilot (BVLOS). This means that the flight will have to be performed according to EVLOS (extended visual line of sight) rules, with observers keeping an eye on the airspace along the way.

18 observers are involved in the training flight that is being conducted today. They are equipped with binoculars, walkie-talkies, and mobile telephones and are located at a distance of one and a half kilometers from each other.

If an observer spots the drone, he reports this. Once the drone has passed and is within sight of the next observer, the first observer moves to the next position. For example, in relay, the drone is followed non-stop during the test flight, which at 52 kilometers is the longest drone flight made in the Netherlands.

The purpose of the longest continuous drone flight in the Netherlands is to be prepared for the international drone flight that will start at the end of June.

Longest continuous drone flight

“The drone will cross a highway several times, but also high-voltage cables, nature reserves, and railway lines. This is taken into account as much as possible when determining the route and positioning the observers. These are all factors that are being tested today so that we are optimally prepared during the international flight,” said Coert Ruseler, business line director for the Environment, Safety and Health of Antea Group.

Xpedition New Horizons

With the intended drone flight from Oranjewoud to Copenhagen, Antea Group wants to show what drones can be used safely in the near future and what valuable information this can provide for making our living environment more sustainable.

The flight is being conducted in collaboration with DroneQ Robotics. AirHub has been asked for support with flight preparation.

Cover photo: Phoenix-Wings

This article first appeared on Dronewatch and is written by Wiebe de Jager who is also a DroneXL contributor.

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