EUFAR, the European Facility for Airborne Research, becomes 10

Instrumented aircraft are essential tools in environmental and geo-sciences. Many European countries operate their own research aircraft, but access across national boundaries is difficult and not all researchers are familiar with the potential advantages of airborne experiments. Two Framework Programme 6 (FP6) initiatives i) HYRESSA, HYperspectral REmote Sensing in Europe Specific support Action, and ii) EUFAR, EUropean Facility for Airborne Research in Environmental and Geo-sciences, have joined forces in Framework Programme (FP7). The FP7 EUFAR project (2008- 2012) is now a network of 33 European airborne data providers and experts in airborne measurements and aims at providing and improving the access to airborne facilities (i.e. aircraft, airborne instruments, data processing centers) through Trans-national Access (TA) Activities, Networking Activities (NA) and Joint Research Activities (JRA). Its aim is to integrate the airborne community to ensure that researchers in environmental and geo-sciences may have access to infrastructure most suited to their needs, irrespective of the location of the infrastructure. EUFAR will celebrate its 10th anniversary during the ICARE International Conference on Airborne Research for the Environment including international air show which will be held in Toulouse (France) from 25-31 October 2010.