Sky watcher over the island

General Atomics succeeds in integrating the MALE RPAS MQ-9B SkyGuardian into civil airspace

British aviation history was once again made in the skies above the United Kingdom on 12 September 2021. The MALE RPAS MQ-9B took off from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Waddington SkyGuardian by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the first fully integrated, non-separated domestic flight from A to B along the airline structure in the UK. It was a safe flight, integrated with the rest of the air traffic and complying with all NATS requirements. After a few hours in the air, the remotely piloted SkyGuardian landed safely, on time and on target at RAF Lossiemouth Air Force Base. The second historic moment in the 2021 SkyGuardian flight programme was a resounding success. Because on 27 August 2021, the SkyGuardian in the United Kingdom, the first non-separated flight in Class G airspace, using its on-board collision avoidance system, the Air-to-Air Radar (ATAR) system, to detect and avoid non-cooperative air traffic.

Text: GA - ASI / Stefan Klein