The Aerosonde Robotic Aircraft: A New Paradigm for Environmental Observations

The Aerosonde is a small robotic aircraft designed to undertake a wide range of operations in a highly flexible and inexpensive mode. Holland et al. (1992) laid out the conceptual basis of an Aerosonde operation that would enable meteorological observations in remote and otherwise inaccessible regions. A prototype aircraft was first flown in 1993, demonstrating the viability of the platform and overall concept. By 1998, an intensive development program had led to the Mark 1 aircraft, which passed all requirements in a full operational trial by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Since 1998, a substantial research and development program has resulted in considerable improvements to the aircraft and its operational systems. These now extend well beyond the original concept. The Aerosonde platform is proceeding along a well-defined development path over the period 1998– 2002. The Mark 2 version entered operations in early 2000 and the Mark 3 aircraft is scheduled to enter operations in 2001. We have also participated in a number of international field programs and passed a significant milestone of 2000 flight hours in testing and operations by the end of 2000. These improvements and sustained testing under operational conditions are leading to aircraft that are more robust, able to operate over larger domains, and have increased flexibility in the range and type of operations that can be achieved. Close contact has been maintained with user communities, inside and outside the field of meteorology, The Aerosonde Robotic Aircraft: A New Paradigm for Environmental Observations