In the wake of the 2013 Paris Air Show, manufacturers, operators, and players in the civilian UAS industry in France have decided to unite to create the Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil (FPDC) (Professional Civilian UAS Association).
For just over a year, a regulatory framework – the decree of April 11, 2012 – has defined the use of civilian UAS in French air space. Due to the civilian UAS industry’s rapid growth, a unifying body has become a necessity in order to provide structure and organization to the industry’s continuing development.
France is at the forefront of civilian UAS use in Europe and in the world. The Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil has acknowledged several challenges that need to be met. First, this advance must be maintained over the long term. Next, a special place in French industry must be provided for this new high-potential area, because it is likely to create thousands of jobs.
In the beginning of the 21st century, UAS will share the same exponential development that aviation saw in the beginning of the 20th century. UAS have been developed and used by the military for surveillance and intelligence missions for more than twenty years already. Once again, the defence industry shows that it is a historical breeding ground for the development of breakthrough technologies. The sharing of expertise has led to a civilian adaptation of military UAS technology. This emerging market now requires a sustainable basis and structure. It is with this view that the Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil has been created. As a unifying body allowing communication and collaboration, the association takes over the embryonic dynamic that existed up until now to pave the way and shape the foundations of this flourishing industry.
France is a leader in two aspects of this industry: regulation and technology. In the first semester of 2013, there are more than fourteen manufacturers and two hundred twenty civilian UAS operators registered with the French DGAC. The players are mainly SMEs and young, innovative companies. This area is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for French industry. The Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil wants to encourage, as far as possible, the development of relationships and interactions between SMEs, large companies, schools, universities, and R&D centres.
The Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil is an essential association for supporting the growth of this innovative industry. Emmanuel de Maistre, President of the Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil and CEO of the Redbird company (operator), says: “The civilian UAS industry in France is blossoming. It must still overcome many obstacles and lay its foundations. The centralizing and unifying vocation of the FPDC will allows us to accelerate the development of this industry that has the potential to become a key player in our economy.” It is primordial to coordinate and unite all of the French UAS industry players.
Benjamin Benharrosh, Treasurer of the Fédération and development director of the company Delair-Tech (manufacturer), adds: “Communication between manufacturers and operators is essential for the industry’s sustainable development. Also, major clients and air space regulatory authorities seek a consolidation of the economic actors of the UAS industry.” Coordinating the players will enable us to find shared and innovative solutions in many areas (technical, economic, social, environmental, legal…).
The FPDC therefore provides the necessary framework for this cooperation between “dronists.” It also allows the coordination of national and international promotional efforts. There are many and varied applications of civilian UASs, but they are still not well known. The industries of oil (pipelines), energy (high tension power lines), transportation (rails, roads), construction, agriculture, and professional photography/video are all viable areas of action for our UASs. Thus, the Fédération Professionnelle du Drone Civil has a vast sphere of action. It encourages contact and communication between manufacturers and dedicated competitive poles, governmental authorities, and universities or R&D centers. In these conditions, the Fédération opens a sustainable and ever-growing future for civilian UAS.
The FPDC was founded by four companies that manufacture or operate civilian UAS.
Redbird is a “civilian UAS aviation company” for the industrial world. Redbird operates a fleet of remotely piloted aircrafts, and has the ability to process images or analyze data obtained by UAS. Redbird has become the leading UAS operator authorized by the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile to operate UAS according to the “S4” scenario (very long distance flights).
AzurDrones is a department of the SA Hold Azur that uses UAS for industrial and agricultural purposes. Directed by Stéphane Morelli, general secretary of the FPDC and former army officer, this project is borne by an experienced team with backgrounds in the military, engineering, and the world of model airplanes.
Delair-Tech designs, produces and markets mini-UASs for mainly industrial civilian applications since March 2011. Delair-Tech was created to meet the needs expressed by pipeline and gas line managers, namely the observation of anomalies in their infrastructures.
Infotron is a company that specializes in the development and marketing of vertical take-off UAS. The complex and advanced solutions required for this type of aerial vector are developed by a team of expert engineers with backgrounds in wireless telecommunications and aeronautics.
Source: Press Release