SkyLine traffic-detection or avoidance system

SkyLine from uAvionix is a cloud-based command and control (C2) network for unmanned aircraft flying beyond visual line of sight. Rather than a single sensor, it is a network layer that monitors the radios of an entire fleet and the ground stations they connect to, and passes C2 messages to the correct aircraft. It sits in the traffic-awareness and operations stack of BVLOS programmes and is listed with collision-avoidance products because the system also offers detect-and-avoid functions.

The network supports roaming between multiple ground radio stations. Handover is make-before-break, so the aircraft link to the next station is established before the previous one is released, and the system balances load across links using the real-time health of each datalink. Link and path diversity through several radios and frequency bands reduce the risk of a lost link. The supported spectrum includes LTE, ISM and protected C-band.

Hardware and software are designed to DAL C (Design Assurance Level C), and the system is built to meet RTCA DO-362A minimum operational performance standards for C2 data link. In the uAvionix product family the network runs on the microLink airborne radio and the skyStation2 ground station, a weatherproof IP67 networkable ground radio, operating in the unlicensed ISM band of 902 to 928 MHz.

Operation is managed from the SkyLine interface. The operator creates a flight, selects the ground and air radios, sets the operational boundaries and starts the flight from the control interface. Radios are registered in the interface and installed according to the SkyLine installation manual. Data retention includes mission playback, with flight path and radio integrity metrics, and fleet management and network health monitoring are integrated.

Typical uses are BVLOS delivery, inspection, survey and public-safety operations in which an operator manages several unmanned aircraft over a wide area and needs a managed, redundant C2 link with recorded link quality.