The Colibrex/FCS NavAidDrone is a revolutionary drone-based system designed to perform airborne measurements for the commissioning, maintenance, and performance verification of navigation aids such as ILS, VOR, DME, TACAN, and PAPI.

Reliable operation of these systems requires regular ground maintenance in accordance with ICAO Doc 8071, manufacturer recommendations, and site safeguarding requirements. However, certain antenna faults and signal propagation issues can only be detected through airborne measurements of the signal-in-space.

Traditionally, such measurements have required specialized flight inspection aircraft. The NavAidDrone now provides a highly efficient alternative for many of these flight checks, enabling ANSPs to perform representative signal-in-space measurements quickly, accurately, and with far fewer operational constraints.

The drone-based inspection methodology follows ICAO Doc 8071 measurement principles by deriving all ILS parameters from DDM/SDM behaviour as a function of geometry. Although the trajectory differs from conventional flight inspection aircraft, the evaluated parameters are physically equivalent, while additionally enabling localized measurements that are not achievable with aircraft-based inspection alone.

Through correlation with flight inspection data, the NavAidDrone allows ANSPs to optimize flight inspection programs, extend inspection intervals, and significantly reduce costs, emissions, manpower requirements, and operational disruptions.