PAPI Calibration Using Drones: FRACS Expertise Expanding Globally

Technological innovation is at the heart of FRACS’s expertise, as the company develops practical solutions to address the operational challenges faced by airport facilities. Among these innovations, drone-based PAPI calibration now makes it possible to rethink an operation essential to runway safety by combining precision, speed, and operational efficiency.

Thanks to a solution developed with expertise from the DTI and the French Air and Space Force, FRACS supports operators and service providers in implementing PAPI calibration using drones. In particular, this method enables a complete calibration to be performed in a short amount of time, while minimizing runway downtime and providing accurate, reproducible measurements.

This technological expertise is also supported by a pool of drone pilots with complementary skill sets who are highly specialized in aeronautics. These experts include military and civilian in-flight calibrators, who bring in-depth knowledge of the equipment, procedures, and operational constraints associated with calibration activities. This combination of drone and industry expertise gives FRACS a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by airport clients, ranging from technical issues to operational and safety constraints.

Geneva Airport was among the first users to place their trust in the FRACS solution. This initial experience helped demonstrate the solution’s operational value and accelerate its deployment among other players in the sector.

More recently, Skeyes, the Belgian air navigation service provider, has chosen to implement the FRACS solution to increase its autonomy. FRACS will soon travel to Belgium to deliver the drone equipped with its solution and provide the necessary training for Skeyes operators to use it. The goal: to enable local teams to perform PAPI calibration themselves at six Belgian airports: Brussels, Antwerp, Charleroi, Liège, Ostend, and Kortrijk.

An Expanded Range of Drone Use Cases for Airports

FRACS’s expertise also extends to other operational needs of airports. Using drone technology, FRACS performs PAPI calibration, calibration and inspection of runway lighting, as well as surveys of aeronautical obstacles to ensure compliance with OLS (Obstacle Limitation Surfaces).

FRACS has also teamed up with a partner in the Midi-Pyrénées region to offer an airfield lighting inspection solution that complements the various drone use cases at an airport.

These innovative methods help reduce runway downtime, improve measurement accuracy, streamline technicians’ work, optimize costs, and help reduce the environmental footprint of operations.

A business momentum that confirms market interest

This momentum has recently gained strength through a prospecting campaign conducted among French airports focused on PAPI calibration services provided by drones. Numerous presentations of the method and its operational benefits have generated genuine interest among airport operators and have already led to the signing of new contracts. This trend is also growing internationally, with numerous expressions of interest.

From experimentation to adoption, and ultimately to user autonomy, FRACS continues to roll out its drone solutions to help airport facilities achieve faster, more precise, more cost-effective, and more sustainable operations.