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Ing. Tomáš Tlučhoř

2026, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on New Trends in Civil Aviation 2026, Praha, České vysoké učení technické v Praze), p. 317-324), ISBN 978-80-01-07450-3, ISSN 2694-7854

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have rapidly evolved into widely used tools across professional domains, introducing increased operational complexity and safety risks, particularly within the SPECIFIC category. Although the European Union established a harmonised regulatory framework based on risk assessment methodologies such as SORA, the practical implementation of approval processes remains under the responsibility of national civil aviation authorities (CAAs). This paper presents a comparative analysis of approval procedures in four EU member states: Czechia, Croatia, Finland, and Belgium. The study is based on a structured questionnaire targeting key aspects of the approval process, including submission methods, documentation requirements, and processing timelines. The data were analysed using descriptive methods, similarity assessment, and a regulatory strictness index. The results indicate substantial differences in administrative procedures, level of formalisation, and approval duration. A general rel

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2026, Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on New Trends in Civil Aviation 2026, Praha, České vysoké učení technické v Praze), ISBN 978-80-01-07450-3, ISSN 2694-7854

Reliable testing of unmanned aircraft system propulsion units requires controlled and well conditioned airflow. While wind tunnels provide suitable conditions, their high cost and limited accessibility motivate the use of alternative solutions such as fan based wind walls, which inherently produce non uniform flow with significant swirl and turbulence due to the discrete nature of individual fans. To improve airflow quality, flow straightening grids must therefore be applied downstream of the fans. This paper presents the design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of flow straightening grids with different geometries and dimensions for an existing wind wall used in UAS propulsion testing. Square and hexagonal grid structures with various cell sizes and lengths were investigated, including combined multistage configurations. Airflow behavior was analyzed using smoke visualization and high-speed imaging, while flow vorticity was quantified using optical flow analysis and vorticity-based metrics. The results show that both grid geometry and grid length significantly influence flow stabilization, with hexagonal grids providing more stable flow with reduced vorticity, and square grids enabling higher flow velocities but exhibiting increased downstream flow degradation. The most favorable results were achieved using a combined configuration, where a square grid placed at the fan exit was followed by a hexagonal grid, consistent with the principle of multistage flow conditioning, which enabled the longest distance to flow transition and a balanced velocity range suitable for wind wall applications.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2026, Transportation Research Procedia, Amsterdam, Elsevier B.V.), p. 182-191), ISSN 2352-1465

The growing deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) introduces new challenges associated with their acoustic footprint. Excessive noise generated by UAS propulsion units is not only perceived as an undesirable disturbance but may also pose risks to human health and constrain the wider adoption of these technologies. This paper investigates the potential of acoustic materials and structural modifications as means of reducing UAS noise. The focus is placed on two approaches: the application of noise-reducing materials around the circumference of the propulsion unit, and the implementation of internal structures with varying infill ratios. A range of materials and configurations was tested to evaluate their impact on both noise levels and propulsion system thrust. The presented findings aim to provide insight into whether acoustic materials can serve as a viable approach to mitigating UAS noise while maintaining operational efficiency.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2026, Drone Systems and Applications, 14, p. 1-13), ISSN 2564-4939

Unmanned aircraft systems can still be described as a new area of aviation, although they have been around for decades. Due to the boom of the last decade, research and development in the field of unmanned aviation has been exploding and is constantly accelerating. In addition to individual unmanned aircraft systems, the so-called eVTOLs (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) have begun to emerge as a precursor to future unmanned aircraft carrying passengers. Due to the popularity and marketing interest of unmanned aircraft systems, a number of studies are being produced that contain defined approaches on how to use unmanned aircraft systems, introduce their operation, and replace them with other current practices. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the uniformity of existing studies, which should result in a correct approach as an extended intersection of the studies in question. This is achieved by analysing each study and comparing them based on defined areas ranging from the size of the area of operation to the organisation of airspace operations to the types of unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The comparison revealed that although most of the studies pretend to be highly detailed, they marginally address the defined areas of interest. Therefore, they are deficient in terms of the scope, detail, and complexity of the issues covered, making them unsuitable for consideration as indicative of value. However, they do not contradict each other. For future developmental trajectories in the field of UAS traffic management, it is sufficient to follow the studies of the main actors in the industry.

Article in a journal indexed in the Scopus database

2026, Drone Systems and Applications, Volume 14, ISSN 2564-4939

The U-space concept represents an important accelerator aimed at speeding up the integration of unmanned aircraft systems into existing airspace through the provision of services. In particular, the network identification service and the traffic information service depend on the supply of high-quality data. The iConspicuity concept aims to make all participants operating in the same airspace visible to each other, including general aviation. However, general aviation pilots usually do not want to share any information about themselves, especially not precise positional data. They also resist the installation of additional systems on their aircraft. This article aims to explore the possibilities of using the Open Glider Network system for U-space operations. The article focuses mainly on the current distribution of Open Glider Network ground receiving stations with the goal of optimizing their placement within the territory of the Czech Republic. The result of this article is a new constellation of ground receiving stations developed on the basis of the existing network of TV signal transmitters.

Article in a journal indexed in the Scopus database

2024, New Trends in Civil Aviation: Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on New Trends in Civil Aviation 2024, Praha, České vysoké učení technické v Praze), p. 47-51), ISBN 978-80-01-07181-6, ISSN 2694-7854

The current development of unmanned operations in the airspace poses several challenges. One of them is the need to ensure an acceptable level of safety for all participants, even with the increasing capacity of operations. The solution is the system of U -space, which brings new possibilities for the coordination of UAS and traditional aviation in a single airspace, an efficient way of operations management, and an advanced level of automation and digitalization of its services. However, to implement U -space, it is necessary to conduct a safety analysis of such operations. This paper aims to verify whether U -space airspace allows wider possibilities for UAS operations by ensuring a higher level of safety. For this purpose, the MEDUSA method was used, which is designed for safety analysis in U -space airspace. The method was applied to a model operational scenario, which was previously used for the application of the SORA analysis, which is not designed for a higher density of air traffic and, therefore, wider usage of U -space. This enabled a direct comparison of the results of both methods, based on which the benefits and risks associated with the implementation of U -space were described. During processing, it was found that the purely qualitative nature of the MEDUSA method, in combination with limited documentation, strongly limits the conclusions. However, the results show that U -space allows for an increase in air traffic while maintaining the required level of safety.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference

2023

Cílem analýzy vhodného způsobu začlenění informací o provozu UAS do činností stanoviště služby řízení je popis konkrétní varianty, kterou lze zajistit bezpečnou integraci bezpilotního provozu a s tím spojené požadavky na letové provozní služby, je-li tento provoz prováděn ve vzdušném prostoru U-space a zároveň řízeném vzdušném prostoru. Jedná se o výsledek CK01000185-V3 a naplňuje popis: „Výsledkem bude analýza začlenění přehledových informací o UAS do procesů a činností stanovišť služby řízení letového provozu. Bude vyhodnocovat různé možnosti distribuce přehledové informace na stanovišti řízení. Analýza bude rovněž obsahovat návrh způsobu, jakým budou informace spojené s provozem UAS zobrazeny.“

Peer-reviewed research report in Czech

2023

Cílem Provozní koncepce U-space pro ČR je komplexně definovat subjekty, procesy, data, vztahy a dopady implementace U-space v České republice. Provozní koncepce U-space pro ČR tak slouží jako generální dokument pro implementaci U-space v ČR ze systémového pohledu. Jedná se o výsledek CK01000185-V1 a naplňuje popis: „Celková provozní koncepce U-space pro ČR bude založena na nově připravované legislativě a bude zohledňovat budoucí požadavky na integraci UAS provozu. Koncepce bude rovněž reflektovat spektrum postupů a zkušeností, které zakomponuje při vytváření integračních zásad. Budou definovány role všech zainteresovaných stran a navrženy datové vazby mezi ŘLP, FIMS manažerem a poskytovatelem služeb U-space s definováním všech vstupů a datových toků pro zajištění dynamických informací o vzdušném prostoru.“

Result incorporated into approved strategic and conceptual documents

2023, Drones, 7 (12), ISSN 2504-446X

The operation of unmanned aircraft systems in shared airspace can serve as an accelerator for the global economy and a sensitive addition to the existing mix of transportation modes. For these reasons, concepts of Unmanned Traffic Management have been recently published, defining advanced rules for all potential participants in the operation of unmanned systems. Airspace primarily dedicated to automated unmanned system operations, referred to as U-space in Europe, needs to be designated with consideration for the surrounding airspace. This is especially important in cases where the airspace is controlled, and when declaring U-space airspace, it is necessary to pay particular attention to the density of surrounding air traffic. The goal of this article is to assess the suitability of establishing U-space airspace for Urban Air Mobility in terms of traffic density in a controlled area above the selected metropolis, which is Prague, Czech Republic. To achieve this goal, data on air traffic in the given area were analyzed to obtain precise information about the traffic distribution. Areas in which the establishment of U-space airspace is possible both without implementing dynamic reconfiguration and with the application of the dynamic reconfiguration concept were also selected. The result is the determination of whether it is possible to establish U-space in airspace, as in the analyzed case of the Ruzyne CTR, U-space can be introduced in 83 % of the territory.

Article in a journal indexed in SCI Expanded

2023, Transportation Research Procedia - INAIR 2023, Linz, Elsevier BV), p. 142-150), ISSN 2352-1465

Unmanned aircraft systems are growing in popularity with both the general public and private entities. Not only are they expected to be used in the field of small consignment transport, but also for passenger transport. As a result, there is a growing interest in building the overall infrastructure to support the development of the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems into common operations. In this case, we are talking about possible support for the creation of Urban Air Mobility. However, it is not entirely obvious what Urban Air Mobility involves, with which entities it should cooperate or what links will be between the different elements of UAM. The objective of this paper is to create a first high-level model of the analysed environment - Urban Air Mobility - that comprehensively captures all elements and the links between them and can be used for further system analyses of the aviation environment. The result of the research is the model of UAM integrated into the aviation system. Based on this model, the elements that hold roles in the system and without which the UAM could not function are clearly defined and the model could be used for system theory analyses of possible issues in regulation or for setting up processes and rules.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2023, Transportation Research Procedia - INAIR 2023, Linz, Elsevier BV), p. 126-133), ISSN 2352-1465

The vast majority of unmanned aircraft systems nowadays rely on satellite navigation to determine their position and altitude. These systems already achieve sufficient accuracy to be used for navigation during flights beyond the visual line of sight of a remote pilot. However, it is necessary to note that these systems are susceptible to reduced signal quality, which can pose a challenge, especially when operating within urban areas. This paper presents the results of experiments that aimed to simulate reduced GNSS signal quality through jamming and spoofing. Both static and dynamic tests were conducted using three specific categories of UAS. Successful jamming of GNSS signals was achieved across all selected UAS categories. The spoofing was successful with only one UAS category.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2023

Bezpilotní systémy rostou na popularitě a dostávají se čím dál více do povědomí veřejnosti. Pronikají do různých oblastí využitelnosti. Jejich počty se neustále zvyšují a plány s jejich využitím do budoucna rostou. Je tak nezbytné korigovat a regulovat jejich provoz. Zároveň se bezpilotní systémy pohybují ve velmi nízkém vzdušném prostoru, který je společným prostorem i pro letectví s pilotem na palubě, a tak zde může dojít k naplnění jeho kapacity. Plány pro jejich regulaci jsou tedy na místě a je nutné včas podchytit možné přehlcení vzdušného prostoru. Bezpilotní systémy by měly být provozovány v koexistenci s letectvím s pilotem na palubě ve stejném vzdušném prostoru a nemělo by docházet k jejich vzájemné segregaci. Je tedy zapotřebí využívat stejný vzdušný prostor se společnými pravidly provozu pro oba druhy subjektů. O jejich vzájemnou koordinaci by se v budoucnu mělo postarat evropské řešení uspořádání letového provozu – U-space. Právě tento dokument, který je výsledkem projektu s názvem Návrh řešení implementace U-space pro Českou republiku přináší inovativní postup pro návrhy prostorů U-Space ve vzdušném prostoru ČR, tedy možnost, jak určit kde by U-space měl být vytvořen a pro jaké případy provozu by byl komerčně vhodný.

Results incorporated into guidelines and non-legislative regulations

2022, 2022 New Trends in Civil Aviation (NTCA), Praha, České vysoké učení technické v Praze), p. 171-176), ISBN 978-80-01-06985-1, ISSN 2694-7854

Unmanned aircraft systems are growing in popularity with both the public and private entities, penetrating various areas of human activity as they develop. Their numbers are steadily increasing. Plans are tremendous with unmanned aircraft systems, so it is important to correct and regulate their operations. The operations of the unmanned aircraft systems can fill the capacity of very low-level airspace, which is common airspace even for manned aviation. They need to be captured in time so as not to hinder the possible development of new technologies. The paper sets out a methodology that can be used to divide the very low-level airspace and assess it based on the potential risk associated with the operation of unmanned aircraft systems and based on the methodology, a final determination of U-space airspace creation for the Czech Republic is developed.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference

2022, 2022 New Trends in Aviation Development (NTAD), Prague, Czechoslovakia Section IEEE), p. 32-36), ISBN 979-8-3503-2036-7

This paper deals with the use of unmanned aircraft systems for inspecting the correctness of the function of airport lighting systems. These days, inspections are typically done using so-called flying labs, but unmanned aircraft systems are showing that they can be significantly more effective in these tasks. In this paper, commercially available unmanned aircraft systems were used for the inspection of lighting systems at the small uncontrolled airport Vysoké Mýto. The inspection results in an acceptable accuracy of it, which leads to the possibility of significant savings for this task in the future.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)

2021, Proceedings of the “Transport Means 2021”, Kaunas, Kaunas University of Technology), p. 807-811), ISSN 1822-296X

The paper is focused on developing a method by which UAS detection systems can be compared and determining the most appropriate UAS detection systems for potential customers. The method is based on a comparison of the specific values of individual UAS detection systems, which vary in their relevance to the different potential customers. Depending on personal preferences, everyone then sets the weight of the given values. Each potential customer has different requirements, claims, and criteria for selecting the UAS detection system, so the method is designed for compatibility in each situation. This means that any potential customer will be able to follow this method and any selection of UAS detection systems can be used for comparison.

Proceedings paper from a prestigious conference (Scopus)