The future of the Foremost UAS test range is in jeopardy following the depletion of government funding in September. The hope is to secure funding in time to open for spring, but the site is officially closed for the winter.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The unmanned aircraft systems test range just outside Foremost is grounded for the winter, with the future of the space uncertain.
Foremost UAS range is a site owned by the village of Foremost and designed to facilitate testing of drones that operate beyond visual line of sight. It is one of only two sites in Canada where this kind of testing can be done.
General manager Doug Hanna says they seek to be an enabler for what is the fastest growing part of the aerospace sector right now, helping companies have a sterile air space to safely test their systems and ensure they are in compliance with Transport Canada regulations.
However, says operations manager and range safety officer Steve Donovan, their funding has run out.
“Usually, if you’re getting federal government funding, you need matching funding of some sort, and it’s the same with the government of Alberta,” said Donovan. While they were previously able to secure government funding thanks to another obligation, that obligation has been completed and the range is now unable to secure the funds to meet the matching requirement.
Hanna says the government has been deeply supportive of the UAS range, both on the provincial and federal level. However, they do see “a variation in year to year activity” that means that the range is not self-sustaining, and funding officially ran out as of September, said Hanna.
Because of this, the range is closed for the winter months. Hanna and Donovan both hope to be able to re-evaluate in the spring and find a solution that allows them to re-open and continue helping companies innovate in the aerospace industry.
The UAS range has been operating since 2016 and in that time has managed to develop co-operation with communities in the region, which has ensured no negative impact on residents or local flyers such as crop dusters. Due to this and the amount of planning and regulation required to create such a space, it is not an opportunity that would be easily replaced should the range not re-open, said Donovan.
“We’re still early in the development of beyond visual line of sight drone operations. We were able to get funding from those sources in the past, we just are running into this little bit of a roadblock now,” said Hanna.
He added that with multiple companies within the southern Alberta region working on drones and the various applications for the technology, he knows there is still a need for the test range; it is simply a matter of being able to secure funding.
“People who are building these systems, they are looking at surveying things like forestry, wildfires, pipeline, oil, gas inspections,” said Donovan.
“They want to go 100 kilometres away, far beyond line of sight. In order to do that, you need what they call a detect and avoid on board or a ground system, like a radar system, or some way, a capability of detecting crude aviation,” said Donovan. “We’re one of the only places they can test these systems safely.”
At this time, it is unknown where the range might be able to secure the funding needed, as Hanna admits it is not a business model that would easily lend well to private companies to invest, but the team remains hopeful they will be able to resume work soon.
