Month: May 2020

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Snowdonia Aerospace: Airspace Change Proposals

Snowdonia Aerospace have a great opportunity for ARPAS Members, Supporters, Followers and others who are affected to influence the size, shape and height of new dedicated drone flying testing space at and around Llanbedr Airfield. Snowdonia Aerospace need to hear from you as a matter of urgency to help secure this airspace for future BVLOS development.

The Company, which owns Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales, has commenced an airspace change proposal with the CAA and are working on design options for this airspace. So, what do you need to test your platforms and sensors and comms links and detect and avoid etc? What size of BVLOS airspace? To what altitude? What distances would you envisage flying BVLOS over the next five to ten years if you had the freedom to do this in dedicated airspace ahead of flying in non-segregated airspace? Over what environments (land, water etc.) and any specific features? Even when drones are able to fly in non-segregated airspace operational safety cases will have to be developed and equipment tested, before platforms can fly freely and Llanbedr is becoming increasingly recognised as the leading centre in the UK for testing and development of novel aircraft – military drones were tested there for some 50 years up until 2004.  

Snowdonia Aerospace are seeking to establish airspace that will accommodate your needs now and in the future ten years and which should be appropriate in size and only turned on when required.

Snowdonia Aerospace envisage an area of airspace large enough to trial larger drones and give access to the unlimited altitude D201 Cardigan Bay Danger Area 14nm south west of Llanbedr Airfield, for HALE, but also small enough to adequately accommodate BVLOS trials for smaller drones. To comply with the requirement of flexible use of airspace policy the airspace would be turned on an off as and when it is needed. Crucially this needs to be in an area of permanent airspace so drone operators, have certainty a trial can be booked and accommodated without a need to apply for a Temporary Airspace 90 days in advance. You will have a flexibility and freedom to get flying and get testing in civilian managed dedicated airspace at a sensible cost.

Help Snowdonia Aerospace help you! They need to understand what your ideal airspace would be and for what sort of platform including a weight and wing span. The size and altitude should include what you would deem necessary as a buffer and that should be stated. Secondly, in order to secure this airspace Snowdonia Aerospace need to have a business case, so, without commitment can you tell them when you may like to trial at Llanbedr Airfield and for what period. It could be for a few days several times a year perhaps, or a month block – exactly whatever you might need. The earliest the new permanent airspace will gain approval is August 2021 but the CAA have assured Snowdonia Aerospace they will continue to allow BVLOS from Llanbedr until then through TDA permissions. 

All responses will be held in strictest confidence. You can see the airspace proposal on line at: airspacechange.caa.co.uk and type in the postcode LL45 2PX. Snowdonia Aerospace have to upload evidence to the portal but all names and company names are redacted in line with Data Protection.

Finally, and you will see this on the CAA portal, Snowdonia Aerospace also have another airspace application in process for an ATZ and the main justification for this is for RAF flying training. This is for circuit training weekdays and is on an opportunity basis.  So, when the new airspace for drone flying is activated there will be no conflicting fast jet activity taking place at the same time.

Snowdonia Aerospace are developing the airfield for mixed use with a primary focus on research and development and testing and evaluation of future flight technology and aircraft in support of the UK and Welsh Government commitments to this increasingly important emerging sector of the aerospace industry.

ARPAS Members, Followers, Supporters and others who are affected are urged to contact Snowdonia Aerospace asap to help create a unique permanent airspace for BVLOS flight.

Please email: admin@snowdoniaaerospace.com or contact David Young on 07836591596.

Replies / Details are required by the close of play on the 10th June 2020

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Police drones: Impressive first 6 months for new Notts Police drone unit

Police drones – from fighting crime to saving lives, Nottinghamshire new police drone unit has had a busy first six months in operation.

The team, established to give a readily-available and cost-effective “eye in the sky” to officers on the ground, has helped to detain 39 suspects and find six vulnerable missing people.

Since going live on 1 January the team’s three drones, each equipped with thermal imaging cameras, have attended more than 300 incidents across the county.

PC Vince Saunders, chief pilot and one of 15 officers trained to operate the drones in addition to their core duties, explained: “In a very short space of time the drone unit has become an invaluable policing resource. Having that three-dimensional perspective can help officers out in nearly every conceivable police incident – from arrests and searches to crowd control and drugs raids.

“We can even use a police drone to quickly and accurately map the scenes of road traffic accidents. At first, they may have been a novelty, but our drones are now a central part of our response to so many incidents.”

Drone footage shows the warrant on The Storage Yard being executed by Nottinghamshire Police and Rushcliffe Borough Council Police air support, first provided in the UK by an airship at the 1921 Epsom Derby, has traditionally been provided by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft – both of which are capable of flying further than faster than drones.

However, whilst police drones will not replace these more traditional eyes in the sky, PC Saunders believes they will become an ever more common part of everyday policing. He added: “The real advantage of our drones is in their versatility, cost-effectiveness and the speed in which they can be deployed. That means we’re now using them to help in situations where helicopter support just wouldn’t have been a viable or cost-effective option in the past.

“A good recent example is the arrest of a burglary suspect in Aspley. Arresting officers suspected he’d flee so requested support from one of our drones. As we suspected he did run away, hurdling hedges and fences in the process, but he couldn’t escape our eye in the sky. We’ve also been able to locate missing people very quickly – and in one case I am certain we saved somebody’s life in the process.”

The team, based at Hucknall Police Station, currently operate three police drones: two smaller units worth around £2,500 each and one larger, heavier drone with more powerful magnification and a thermal radiometric camera capable of accurately reading temperatures form hundreds of metres away. Consequently, the larger drone is also used to support Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service assess the scenes of fires.

PC Saunders added: “Obviously our drones are not cheap, but they are a one-off cost and they are providing fantastic value for money. They are keeping people safe, helping us to apprehend suspected offenders, and generally helping us to fight and investigate all manner of crime. That’s why I believe we’ll be using them a lot more in the future.”

A drone was deployed as part of the operation

Nottinghamshire Police’s drone team supported response officers on the ground, guiding them as a man weaved through properties’ gardens and hopped over fences.In the footage, officers can be seen moving to intercept a man thanks to guidance from the drone team in the sky.

A man eventually stops and is safely detained by police in Woodfield Road. He is now being questioned in connection with reports of a burglary in Woodfield Road on 2 May 2020, Woolsington Close on 12 May 2020 and Cramwell Road on 18 May 2020.

Detective Inspector Kayne Rukas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “A fantastic combined effort from our response officers, drone team and intelligence unit led to us locating and detaining a man who we are now questioning in connection with a report of burglary.

“A 30-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of obstructing a police officer, she remains in police custody for questioning.

“Nottinghamshire Police is committed to tackling burglary and will investigate all reports thoroughly. We work hard to establish the circumstances in each case and we always look to take appropriate action against offenders.”

By West Bridgford Wire.

28th May 2020

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Enabling Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management in the UK

A new report from Connected Places Catapult’s explores the steps the UK has taken to be at the forefront of commercial drone development and identifies the steps yet to be taken in order to remain in the global race towards Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM).

There is a huge global opportunity for countries that can successfully accommodate commercial drone operations, it’s thought the sector could be worth £127bn globally. UTM is recognised as a key enabler to address the safe and efficient integration of unmanned vehicles into the airspace.

The UK drone sector is projected to over the coming years, with increasingly capable technology, spawn a new range of potential applications and business models. Unlike several frequently hyped technologies, we are already realising a number of benefits from the application of drones, Visual Line Of Sight (VLOS) inspections are substantially reducing costs of asset inspections and removing people from harm’s way; their use in oil and gas, agriculture, power, rail and even search and rescue, is amplifying productivity, accuracy and coverage in each of those areas. Compared to the possible commercial and societal benefits that drones have to offer, the market today, represents only the tip of the iceberg.

Government and industry are committed to maintaining a safe national airspace to which all users, including the unmanned aircraft community, are able to have routine, fair and equitable access. UTM addresses many of the airspace integration requirements for drone operations therefore it requires a coordinated approach across the UTM and UAS stakeholder community to deliver an ecosystem that will ultimately enable the industry to capitalise on the market opportunities presented by drones.

The report provides a summary of the developed open-access UTM framework and defines the future direction around which industry and regulators can openly engage with each other to explore how UTM may be trialled, de-risked and matured. This will support the development of both UTM technologies and the application of UTM, but also places the industry in a leading position. With the right focus and investment, the UK can be a true global leader.

 

Ajay Modha, Principal Technologist at Connected Places Catapult and report author explains

 “There is a need for the community to come together around a common vision for success. With UTM, the aviation industry can collaboratively deliver safer drone operations in different sectors and assure routine operations. Thus, one view of success is UTM enabling the wide-ranging deployment of drone services in UK industry.

The key enabler is to realise Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management in the UK is to demonstrate and prove both the philosophy and technology, this report is an open invitation to the drone industry to participate and move the concept forward.”

 

Read Report: 20200522_CPC report Enabling UTM in the UK

 

Watch Webinar that launched the report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6IxjSUGwYo&feature=youtu.be

 

London, 22 May 2020

 

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ARPAS-UK supports IMechE UAS Challenge 2020

The Institute of Mechanical Engineering has run an international UAS Challenge since 2014. Teams of undergraduates from all over the world take part in the Challenge. They undertake a full design and build cycle of a UAS with specific mission objectives. The Challenge bridges the gap between academia and industry in developing applied UAS-related activities, providing the perfect opportunity to strengthen links with industry, other universities and enhance employment opportunities for graduates in the aerospace sector.

 

ARPAS-UK was a recently founded Trade Association when the Challenge first began, while the IMechE was founded in early 1847, 172 years ago.

 

We are delighted to be supporting the Challenge 2020 and will be offering one year’s free membership to the leading UK University and its participating students.

In 2019 there were 32 entrants, from 26 universities, from 6 countries with the Pakistan National University of Science & Technology Air Works Team Beta becoming the Grand Champions.

 

Gavin Wishart, ARPAS-UK Chairman and IMechE member, commented: “The event offers students a path into the UAS industry, an industry ARPAS-UK supports. We believe in supporting the students of today as they will be the developers of tomorrow.”

 

For more information on the Challenge: https://www.arpas.uk/imeche-uas-challenge-2019/

 

 

KEY DATES

Calendar dates

  • Registration open: 16 September 2019
  • Registration close: 30 October 2019
  • Welcome seminar/webinar: 8 November 2019.

Document submission deadlines

  • Concept Paper submission: 29 November 2019
  • Preliminary Design Review (PDR): 24 January 2020
  • Photo Release Form and Eligibility Criteria: 1 March 2020
  • Critical Design Review (CDR): 13 March 2020
  • FRR Video submission: 22 May 2020
  • FRR Interview: 29 May 2020.

Note: To submit the above documents, you must upload it to your personal G:Drive folder. To gain access to your G:Drive folder, please submit your team G:Mail address to uaschallege@imeche.org. Document submission by email will not not accepted.

Competition dates

  • Final event, the Fly-off: 17-20 June 2020
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iMeche UAS Challenge 2020 announce Teams Entered

 

Meet the Teams

  1. The Open University, Team oUFO
  2. Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Team ANTS, Bangladesh
  3. University of Manchester, Team Phoenix
  4. University of Sheffield, Project HEX
  5. University of Aberdeen, Team Aerospace in Aberdeen
  6. University of Southampton, Team QuadWing
  7. University College London, Team Quadrone
  8. Loughborough University, Team Loughborough UAV
  9. University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Team WRise, India
  10. Sheffield Hallam University, Hallam Aviation
  11. Brunel University London
  12. University of Twente, Team A3T, Netherlands
  13. University of Huddersfield, Team Hawk
  14. University of Sheffield, Team Volaticus
  15. National University of Sciences and Technology, Team NUST Airworks, Pakistan
  16. Wrexham Glyndwr University, Team WHIF! (We Hope It Flies!)
  17. Institute of Space Technology, Team IST Aero Aztechs, Pakistan
  18. Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Team Foxtrot, Pakistan
  19. Istanbul Technical University, Team Albatros, Turkey
  20. University College London, TeamDronex
  21. University College London, Team Nova
  22. University of Surrey, Team Peryton
  23. University of Southern Denmark, Team SDU Eagles
  24. Swansea University, Team Curiosity
  25. University of Engineering and Technology, Team Griffin Ace, Pakistan
  26. Imperial College London, Project ICAV
  27. University of Dundee, Team Haggis Aerospace
  28. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Team DronAid, India
  29. University of Moratuwa, Team Mora Avions, Sri Lanka
  30. University of the West of England, TeamUWE
  31. Queen’s University Belfast
  32. Queen Mary University
  33. Yildiz Technical University, Turkey
  34. University of Central Lancashire
  35. Concordia University, Vertical Flight Society, Canada
  36. Coventry University
  37. University of Strathclyde
  38. Swansea University
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techUK Drones4Good Week: a roundup

techUK have run a week of drone blogs, which we have collated here for you, discussing the opportunities drones can deliver for UK’s public services and businesses, showing how they are making a positive difference to people’s everyday lives, highlighting how we rebalance the public debate and presenting the benefits offered for all organisations particularly by the convergance between drones and other key fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, inclusing IoT, AI and Digital Twins.

The week will also address the challenges drone adoption faces, such as concerns around cyber secuirty, trust and public perception, and how to overcome these. We aim to provide an overview of where drone technology adoption levels currently stand alongside outlining what needs to be done to better position the UK for leadership in this key 4IR technology.

Want to know more right now? Check out the techUK podcast on Drones for Good which is out now with speakers Elaine Whyte, Drones lead at PwC and Sam Nixson from Meteomatics talking about how drone techology is being used for good across the UK and how to refocus public debate on the positive role of drones.

Monday 13th January 2020 – The UK’s vision for drones and how to make this happen

 

Tuesday 14th January 2020 – How drones are supporting public services and making a difference

Wednesday 15th January 2020 – Opportunities for UK businesses – how to generate greater demand and adoption

Thursday 16th January 2020 – Challenges and barriers to the UK’s drone future and how these can be addressed

Friday 17th January 2020 – Next steps and moving forward – what are the key ingredients of UK drone success

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CAA Innovation Hub

 

 

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Drone Podcasts

Do you like to listen to podcasts on the move on in the car ? Here are a few that you may enjoy. Some are chatty, featuring regular panellists, others focus on a particular topic or company. There should be something for everyone.

Happy listening!

 

These have been gathered over time and will be more or less relevant depending on today’s date.  If you come across a good one, do let us know and we’ll add it.

Regular Podcasts:

Drone Radio Show

Drones & Sundry

Unmanned Uncovered

Drones For Good Podcast

UK Drone Podcast – this seems to have fallen by the wayside, but the podcasts are still available to listen too.

Mr MPW

 

January 2020: ‘CAA on Air‘ Podcast launched Jan 2020, featuring David Tait, the Innovation Strategy Lead, Rachel Gardner-Poole, Head of the General Aviation Unit  and Andy Hamilton, UAS Sector Lead. This will become a regular podcast over time.

techUK Podcast 14: DronesforGood: Listeners will hear from Elaine Whyte, Drones lead at PwC (from 00:52) and Sam Nixson from Meteomatics (from 21:17).

 

May 2019: James Dunthorne, Standards Director features in Drones & Sundry

D is for Drone: PwC Tech Podcast with Elaine Whyte of PwC and Pippa Malmgren of H Robotics.

April 2019: James Dunthorne, Standards Director on Drones & Sundry

Feb 2019: Ahead of the Field: NFU Mutual Podcast on Drones for Farmers.

Jan 19: Drone Science over Land & Sea Podcast by Dr Karen Joyce & Dr Karen Anderson

Jun 2018: James Dunthorne, Standards Director on SUASnews podcast. The SUAS news is a regular drone podcast.

 

No date provided: Filming with drones: What you need to know. The BBC Academy Podcast

 

 

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Drone Futures: UAS in Landscape and Urban Design

ARPAS Member, Paul Cureton, drone pilot and Senior Lecturer in Design at Imagination Lancaster and member of the Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, UK, has published

Drone Futures explores new paradigms in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in landscape and urban design. UAS or drones can be deployed with direct application to the built environment; this book explores the myriad of contemporary and future possibilities of the design medium, its aesthetic, mapping agency, AI, mobility and contribution to smart cities.

These aircraft have the potential to change our cities. However, they need to be tested extensively in urban airspace. A study conducted by Airbus found that public concerns about VTOL use focused on the safety of those on the ground and noise emissions.

The widespread adoption of drones and VTOL will lead to new architecture and infrastructure. Existing buildings will require adaptations: landing pads, solar photovoltaic panels for energy efficiency, charging points for delivery drones, and landscaping to mitigate noise emissions.

Biography

Paul Cureton is a drone pilot and Senior Lecturer in Design at Imagination Lancaster and member of the Data Science Institute, Lancaster University, UK. His research interest revolves around the agency and expression of futures and methods in landscape and architecture in the built environment. This research interest has manifested itself in the exploration of the power of urban visions and speculative futures, the history and future of vertical urbanism through drones and the use of 3D mapping, geo-design and digital twins for urban design and planning. His recent publications include the monograph Strategies for Landscape Representation: Digital and Analogue Techniques (2016). He is co-author, with Nick Dunn, of Future Cities: A Visual Guide (2020).

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ARPAS-UK & BSI team up to work on Standards
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Complete the survey now

Take the opportunity to shape the requirements for drones as applied to industry and help accelerate adoption: follow the link to this BSI drone industry survey now: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HSDSVW/

Don’t miss your chance: survey is open until the end of October and results to be advised end of year

…Philip Hicks, founder and director of Pravo Consulting, a strategic communication and research consultancy focused on drones and disruptive technologies, examines the nascent status of standards for the dynamic remotely piloted aircraft systems sector.

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Working with BSI, the team at ARPAS-UK is canvassing opinion across stakeholder groups to establish a way forward for drones and the development of industry standards and best practice to tie together the myriad of industries and applications.

The opportunity to provide the foundations for adoption of ever-more ambitious drone applications starts with debate and engagement, and the survey that is open for all to take part in runs through to 22nd October 2020.

This is both an exciting and challenging time for the drone industry and together we are able to chart a course for safe and responsible development.

UK national standards body and global certification group BSI’s latest engagement with the unmanned market took a giant leap last month following a webinar featuring Graham Brown, CEO of drone association ARPAS-UK , drone business and tech consultant Chris Gee of Agilio and Samantha-Lea Wootton, BSI’s lead standards development manager for the aerospace sector.

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As those of us involved in the sector understand, drones are not just the future enablers of a whole new spectrum of services but are here right now. In essence, the development of best practice, policy and standards not only supports today’s urgent medical deliveries but potentially points the way to tomorrow’s passenger transit and a new world of autonomous transport.

What’s more, COVID-19, and the resulting reassessment of how we live and do business has not just rushed in a ‘new normal’ but acted as a catalyst for disruptive technologies including drone technologies (or however you describe UAVs, UAS or RPAS).

Researching the state of standards

As Graham Brown explains: “From medical deliveries and agriculture to surveys and construction plus a host of applications drones are making a difference to our lives in real and demonstrable ways.”

He introduced the survey as the start of a process of engagement at the kick-off international webinar hosted by the BSI team, although in truth a considerable amount of preparatory work including interviews with individuals has taken place to inform design of the questions. “The project is researching industry’s view of the state of standards and standard-like activity that relate to the use of drones in the UK.”

One part of the survey is to drill down to the optimal weighting of regulations and standards (including aviation, enabling and industry standards) across a range of core drone areas of interest.

Capture views of influencers

The grouping of questions ranges from airworthiness and airspace integration to public acceptance and insurance, to name just a few.

Interestingly, standards depending upon context and application will be of varying importance to different stakeholders from manufacturers to operators. That’s the point, to capture the views of a disparate number of influencers that make up the drone ecosystem, and to help develop relevant and appropriate methodologies going forwards.

Forecasts vary, as ever, but the predicted figures for growth are undeniably impressive. The drone services market size is expected to grow from $4.4 billion in 2018 to $63.6 billion by 2025 (source: Business Insider ). The widely differing forecasts beg investigation and may be the subject of my next blog.

Pressing need for co-ordination and to find a common terminology

So, irrespective of the source of market stats, the future is dynamic and promising. But there are some important brakes and barriers to adoption, not least public trust and confidence and integration with manned airspace. The answer may, in large measure, be the creation of guidance, rules, best practice and frameworks where the industry and operators, amongst a spectrum of stakeholders, can navigate their way with confidence to continued adoption.

There are many global organisations developing exhaustive lists of aviation-based drone regulations and standards and there is a real and pressing need to co-ordinate these important activities and moreover “find a common terminology”, as Graham Brown underlined. Current research underway includes AW-Drones, the EU Horizon funded programme, with 600-plus standards recommended, suggested, or in progress, plus EUSCG stemming from EASA and US-centred ANSI, establishing a roadmap for implementation, navigating the structures of FAA regulations.

Your industry needs you. Take the survey and have your say!

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Philip Hicks

phil@pravoconsulting.com

Mobile: +44 (0) 7467 510339