UAS Test Center takes over approvals of future drone operators in Denmark

From 3 July the test center in Odense, Denmark, under the name UAS Test Center Denmark, takes over on approving drone operators in the country. It is a task formerly handled by the Danish Transport Authority. The purpose is to bring down the casework time, so the industry can get a faster take-off!

If you are going to fly commercially with a drone in Denmark you need an exemption from the Danish Transport Authority. This is the rule today with only few exceptions.

In the intra-governmental report from April 2015, this is called an “exemption regime”, and a non-optimal way to handle the huge potential of the UAV industry.

In UAS Test Center Denmark, based in Hans Christian Andersen Airport in Odense, they see the task as an important step towards being the center for the country’s drone related activities – and towards cutting down the existing level of casework time.

“There is already a pile of applications waiting for us. There are 80 approved operators in total in Denmark at the moment, a number we expect to be doubled over the coming 6 months. Therefore we go into the job with the clear aim to bring down the response time”, says Head of UAS, Michael Larsen, UAS Test Center Denmark.

If you are not an approved commercial operator in Denmark, you must obey to the model aircraft rule for aircraft below 25 kg. According to this you cannot fly over people; must stay away from built-up areas and major public roads – distance must be at least 150 m; and the distance to the runways of a public aerodrome must be at least 5 km.

For now, final exemptions will still be issued by the Danish Transport Authority after recommendation from UAS Test Center Denmark.

————–

About UAS Test Center Denmark:

UAS Test Center Denmark is operated by Hans Christian Andersen Airport, and located in the town of Odense, which is known for its stronghold within robotics. The center is close to both Copenhagen (capital of Denmark) and Hamburg (Germany). The airport offers several types and sizes of airspace for test purposes as well as a UAS ground school. The local university, University of Southern Denmark, runs a UAS research center and has just launched a Master of Science in Engineering, specializing in drone technology – the first of its kind in Europe.

Website:

www.uasdenmark.dk

Contact:

Michael Larsen, Head of UAS, UAS Test Center Denmark, lml@hca-airport.dk, +45 40469102