© JR Ancheta – ACUASI

Before an aircraft of any kind can be used operationally, it needs to be rigorously tested. One key area of testing involves how an aircraft handles adverse weather conditions. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a long history of being a pioneer in testing aircraft in these conditions, particularly for unmanned aircraft systems. The university first established the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI) in 2001—well before the commercial drone revolution—at the Poker Flat Research Range in Chatanika, about 30 miles north of the main campus. In 2012, under the university’s Geophysical Institute, ACUASI was granted its own department to further drone research and development.

Shortly thereafter, ACUASI submitted a proposal to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to align with the agency’s goals of integrating drones into shared airspace. In 2014, ACUASI became one of the FAA’s original six UAS Test Sites, a position the school has maintained to this day with the 2024 FAA Reauthorization of the continued UAS Test Site Program. As stated on the FAA website, “ACUASI oversees flight test range facilities in sixteen states and territories. ACUASI supports research and test activities related to public operations, civil/commercial operations, mixed manned and unmanned operations, high-altitude long endurance (HALE), and high-altitude balloon operations.”

ACUASI goes on to explain that, as one of the best drone research facilities on the planet, they operate “a variety of UAS ranging from small racing drones used in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) outreach to the large 300 lb or greater class of research platform aircraft. ACUASI also possesses the vehicles, ground control stations, antennae, generators, and other accessories needed to transport and deploy the aircraft around the world. ACUASI utilizes a variety of payloads for UAS operations, including detect-and-avoid systems (ground-based and airborne), anti-GPS jamming systems, EO/IR cameras, lidars, methane detectors, aerosol samplers, and a host of other payloads.”

Dr. Cathy Cahill, ACUASI’s director, says that one of the driving forces behind the center’s work is how drones can be used to improve the lives of people living in Alaska, especially those in remote locations. For people in remote Alaskan villages, the only way they have access to supplies is by what is flown to them. With Alaska’s extreme weather, this can often put pilots at risk. Dr. Cahill further explains that drones can provide these communities with access to everything from medications to daily necessities like diapers and milk—things that would be unsafe for traditional aircraft to deliver.

Recently, ACUASI partnered with Canada’s Coda Consulting to build a new structure to test drones under extreme weather. Coda has become known for its expertise in building bespoke icing systems to safely test how drones behave in extreme environments. ACUASI Systems & Technology Integration Specialist Eyal Saiet explains that for large aircraft flying at 800 mph at altitudes of 20,000 feet, icing is not a big concern. But for drones, which are limited to altitudes of 400 feet and much slower speeds, ice can easily form on the device, altering its performance. Mr. Saiet goes on to explain that testing how drones operate when encountering water particles of varying sizes in the low atmosphere range could open up many possibilities for drones in Alaska.

Coda constructed the 16-foot vertical icing test tower in January 2025 in a fenced-in area behind the university’s Reichardt Building. “This one-of-a-kind facility allows researchers to replicate and study various icing scenarios, improving drone safety and performance in harsh weather conditions,” Coda’s website states. “The spray system was designed and calibrated to precisely control droplet size and liquid water content, ensuring highly accurate and repeatable testing conditions.” ACUASI has been using the icing tower since February, with the hope of getting a solid four months of experimentation in before the weather starts to warm up. Mr. Saiet mentioned that the structure will remain up throughout the warmer months so that ACUASI is ready to resume testing come next winter.

As drone technology continues to advance, the work being done at ACUASI stands at the forefront of ensuring these systems are safe, reliable, and capable of thriving in some of the most challenging environments. With their innovative testing and partnerships, ACUASI is not only contributing to the future of unmanned aircraft systems but also creating solutions that could significantly improve the lives of those living in remote regions of Alaska and beyond. As testing continues to evolve, the potential for drones to revolutionize industries from delivery to disaster response grows ever more promising, and ACUSI remains a key player in that transformation.

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