Vienna, June 12, 2007 - As a first, the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAV System has received a Permit to Fly under the new amended European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Regulation. The Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 is one of the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the first helicopter UAV that received an EASA Permit to Fly . This new amended regulation is applied to EU-registered aircraft, for which such a Permit to Fly is required. The Permit to Fly is issued for those aircraft not holding a type-certificate yet but still are able to perform flights safely under the EASA-approved flight conditions.

The Permit to Fly
under EASA-approved flight conditions enables the Schiebel CAMCOPTER® S-100 to obtain national flight permissions within the EU member states much more easily. Neither investigation activities nor national approval activities of the flight conditions are any longer required by the respective national authorities. Besides test flights, also permissions for S-100 system demonstration flights for customers at exhibitions or air shows will be much easier to obtain. For more details, please refer to ED 2007/006/R GM 21A.701.

The amendment to the Regulation (EC) 1702/2003 has been developed and approved by the European Commission to prescribe the applicable implementing rules. It has been published on 4 April 2007 in the Official Journal of the European Union and entered into force on 5 April 2007.

About EASA
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the centrepiece of the European Union s strategy for aviation safety. As an independent EU Organisation under EU Law it became operational in 2003 and follows its mission to promote the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation.

The Agency develops common safety and environmental rules at the European level, monitors the implementation of standards through inspections in the member states and provides the necessary technical expertise, training and research.

The EASA is also responsible for type-certification, i.e. the certification of specific models of aircraft, engines or parts approved for operation in the European Union.

About Schiebel
Founded in 1951, the Vienna-based Schiebel Group of companies focuses on the development, testing and production of state-of-the-art mine detection equipment and the acclaimed CAMCOPTER® Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System. Schiebel has built an international reputation for producing quality defence and humanitarian products, which are backed by exceptional after-sales service and support. All products are quality controlled to meet ISO 9001 standards. With headquarters in Vienna, Austria, Schiebel now maintains production facilities in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, as well as offices in Washington, DC, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

About the CAMCOPTER® S-100
Schiebel s latest CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAV System has been developed to carry various sensors for both military and civilian applications. The Aerial Vehicle is launched automatically via Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), eliminating the need for a pre-prepared area or additional launch and recovery equipment. It navigates via pre-programmed GPS waypoints, or can be operated manually through a simple, yet highly stable, flight control system. The S-100 like its predecessor, it is capable of landing on helicopter deckequipped ships without the use of additional landing equipment. Its AV fuselage is a carbon-fibre monocoque providing maximum capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations. In a standard configuration, the AV is capable of carrying a 55 lbs payload for up to 6 hours.

Source: Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH
Pictures provided and copyrighted by Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH
For further information about Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH, click here