Capabilities

The primary fields of application in which the ICTS develops its activity and gives support to users who request access to it are:

- Flight testing. Conducting flights to test the characteristics and performance of the C212 aircraft in flight was the original mission that motivated putting PAI in operation. The objective is to test the aircraft in multi-mission settings, with distinct flight configurations, under real operational conditions, on occasion to the limit of the flight envelope to which it has been certified and thus learn about its behaviour in such circumstances.

- Atmospheric research. In this case, the objective is to monitor the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere during flights, in which atmospheric data are collected on-site. The aircraft is configured as an airborne laboratory with the suitable staff and instruments to get data in the required environmental conditions, which will depend on the atmospheric environment studied. In particular, our team has specialized in measuring the characteristics of atmospheric suspended particles: size, composition, shape and concentration. Another line of research that is increasingly active is that related to the study of the formation and accretion of ice on aeronautical surfaces, in real flight conditions.

- Remote sensing in the optical spectrum. An activity that has acquired some relevance in recent years is the support provided by the ICTS-PAI for remote sensing campaigns of hyperspectral imaging to monitor the Earth's surface, objects and its phenomena. For this purpose, various sensors are available to collect passive imagery covering the entire optical spectrum and providing calibrated data with high spectral, radiometric and geometric accuracy.

- SAR campaigns. This activity aims to perform the flights required to qualify the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) sensors developed by the Institute's Radio Frequency Area in real operating conditions. This support extends to carry out "production" flights for SAR images of the Earth's surface and objects located on it.

- Assistance in the installation and flight qualification of new instrumentation. Support activity for R&D of new airborne instruments, whose purpose is to adapt the prototypes developed and already tested on land for flight operations installed on aerial platforms. This includes support for installation, certification and qualification of new instrumentation, as applicable.

- Others: PAI is in a position to be used for any type of  airborne scientific-technological experience, considering the compatibility with the selected aerial platform. Our aircraft have a high grade of adaptability for sensors, equipes and projects.