IFIRE
Icing Forecast in Real Environment: Drone flight testing under natural icing conditions in alpine airspace
Project partner:
Background: The Impact of Weather in Drone Operations
The operational readiness of drones is significantly influenced by weather conditions, which is particularly important for safety-critical applications in alpine areas. Many drone operations fall under aviation law requirements in the SPECIFIC category, where operators must demonstrate that their drones can be safely operated in adverse weather conditions.
This is where the IFIRE project plays a crucial role.
Project objective: Enabling safe UAV operations under icing conditions
IFIRE is working on an operational and technical concept for conducting UAV flight tests in natural icing conditions. The aim is to evaluate both UAV systems and forecasting tools for their effectiveness in cold and icing environments.
A key outcome of this project will be the Austrian Icing Map, a digital forecasting tool that assists drone pilots in identifying and avoiding icing risks at an early stage.
Project approach: From weather data to a practical tool
Consortium
AIRlabs Austria: Test operations and regulatory implementation in the Alpine region
As the project coordinator, AIRlabs Austria oversees the organization and execution of flight tests in Alpine test areas under natural icing conditions. Based on the lessons learned from the All-Weather Drone project, existing findings are incorporated into the test planning in a targeted manner. Additionally, AIRlabs is responsible for preparing and submitting the necessary operating licenses to the relevant authorities. This is a crucial step towards conducting test flights under real weather conditions while adhering to legal requirements.
The project is being conducted by an interdisciplinary consortium: AIRlabs Austria, FH JOANNEUM, Graz University of Technology, and Pegasus Research & Development GmbH, combining their expertise in UAV test operations, weather modeling, system development, and regulatory integration.
IFIRE is a research project within the FFG TAKE OFF programme and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI).