Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven (ODCC): Infrastructure and Capabilities
The ODCC was officially opened in September 2024 and serves as a test and development hub for offshore drone technologies. It features:
- A 170-meter runway for long-range and heavy-lift drones.
- Maritime test zones near Heligoland.
- Facilities for inspection, monitoring, and logistics operations.
Following the completion of the ODCC), Fraunhofer/IFAM Institute organized a
180 km BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone flight from the ODCC to Heligoland and back.
Watch the videos:
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Der Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven (ODCC) des Fraunhofer IFAM
Parallel to the flight operations, Fraunhofer IFAM initiated dialogues with the German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV):
- To clarify flight permissions beyond the 12 nautical mile zone.
- To simplify operational procedures at ODCC for future BVLOS missions.
These discussions aim to align ODCC operations with national and EU aviation regulations, including recognition of foreign CAA authorizations under Art. 15 of IR 947/2019.