Transparency in Action: Recap of Our Recent Safety Feature Test
On Friday the 7th of March 2025, our team conducted an extensive test flight designed to validate and refine our newest geofence safety feature. As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing our aircraft safety, we deliberately pushed our systems to their operational limits—as always in a controlled, safe and uninhabited environment and compliant with local and national regulations.
Geofencing safety features
A key focus of the test was our geofencing technology. Geofencing is a critical safety feature that establishes a virtual boundary using GPS coordinates. This virtual fence prevents a drone from venturing into areas that may be restricted or unsafe. If the drone approaches or breaches this boundary, it can activate multiple safety responses, such as:
- Diverting its flight path
- Transitioning to hover-mode / multicopter-mode
- Deploying a parachute
- Initiating a full flight termination
During this test, the flight termination feature was activated, as a means to prevent a geofence-breach.
Flight Termination Test
The Flight Termination system is the ultimate means to prevent our aircraft from breaching the geofence. When the system was activated during the test, all the power to our propulsion-systems was cut off and the aircraft came down in the open field on the outskirts of our testing area in line with expectations.
On the ground, a small fire started in the battery compartiment, so following our procedures, our flight test crew promptly responded and contacted the fire department.
Also, consistent with our standard procedures, a report was filed with the authorities.
Probably due to the notice to the fire fighter, a journalist became aware. They entered the test field, walked into the private property and made pictures. This resulted in a news item.
Testing in a Controlled Environment
All aspects of the test were executed within our designated testing area, just North of Amsterdam, which comprises the airspace above a controlled ground space. This space is uninhabited, ensuring that our tests occur in a secure environment. We are operating under an official test permit issued by the Dutch authorities, and every procedure followed was in complete compliance with current laws, regulations, and our test protocols.
As we use this test-site for rigorous stress-testing, pushing our aircraft far over the limits, it is a calculated risk that in some cases we lose an aircraft. This has happened in the past, and will happen in the future. It's unfortunate that a news media outlet has mis-interpreted this incident.
Commitment to Transparency and Continuous Improvement
At Avy, we are committed to transparency and continuous improvement, as such we are sharing this item. By openly discussing both our successes and the challenges we encounter, we foster an environment of learning and accountability. Although this test was executed in full compliance with regulations, permits, and safety protocols, we always strive to further improve. We understand that these types of events can influence public perception of drone technology, and we are committed to learning, improving and continually refining our procedures to maintain the highest safety standards and our approach towards handling these type of test-incidents.
Rigorous testing to ensure safety and reliability
Our rigorous testing program is core to our commitment to safety and to the reliability of Avy drones. With thousands of operational flight hours logged, we strive to push the boundaries of our technology. Stretching these limits in a controlled setting allows us to gather invaluable insights, ensuring that our systems remain at the cutting edge of safety and reliability.