The UK Government Drones Pathfinder Programme announces the addition of a new Pathfinder project
Airspace Integration of Drones in support of COVID response Pathfinder aims to deliver an operating environment where all airspace users are detected, and their locations presented back to other drone operators. This will enable drones to safely “detect and avoid” other drones and air users.
The project will be delivered by Trax International in partnership with UAvionix, ANRA Technologies UK and Plane Finder. Initial trials will take place at The Aviation Innovation Centre, Goodwood and will also include Skyports and Auriga Aerospace. The project is partly funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is expected to be completed by November 2021.
Working under the Civil Aviation Authority’s regulatory requirements, the consortium aims to demonstrate safe Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flight alongside conventional air traffic in non-segregated airspace.
This will be achieved by developing a comprehensive electronic surveillance picture based on Mode-S and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transmissions using existing internationally recognised systems, procedures and rules, and integrating it into an unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform. This information will be re-broadcast via Traffic Information Service – Broadcast (TIS-B) to enhance the situational awareness of all airspace users.
Transport Minister Rachael Maclean said:
“The UK is already a world-leader when it comes to innovation in aviation and this exciting project will take us one step further to being able to safely use drones alongside other air traffic in UK airspace.
“This trial is supported by our Drones Pathfinder Programme which we are pleased to be funding into 2021/22.”
Trax International will be providing an overview of the project at the Government Drones Pathfinder Community Webinar on 31st March. You can register for the event HERE. These community events provide an opportunity for the Drones community to share experiences and form networking connections.
The UK Government Drones Pathfinder programme is sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT) and aims to rapidly drive progress in unmanned aviation technology and regulation, enabling industry and the public sector to fully exploit the market in different industry sectors.
Pathfinder projects take a phased approach to achieve routine use of drones within the UK and focus on identifying and overcoming the technical, operational, and commercial challenges for bringing a new BVLOS drone-based service to market in the UK.
Altitude Angel launches next-gen Airspace Management Solution for Airports
London, UK.Altitude Angel, the world’s leading UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, today announced it is bringing to market a next-generation airspace management solution – GuardianUTM Enterprise – an intuitive, cost-effective platform which will initially be deployed to support regional and local airports and airfields.
GuardianUTM Enterprise provides a combined view of the airspace in the vicinity of airports and offers a ‘one-stop’ solution to enable the airport to start designing and providing UTM Services for drone companies and drone operators, using Altitude Angel’s proven digital authorisation and flight management technology.
Furthermore, ahead of the EASA U-Space Regulations which are expected to become law from 1 January 2023, GuardianUTM Enterprise is designed to enable airspace authorities to digitise approvals for drone operations using services integrated with CIS (Common Information Service) and USSP (U-Space Service Providers) architectures.
Using GuardianUTM Enterprise, airports can easily set access policies and create automation workflows which are accessible via Altitude Angel’s UTM ecosystem and used by hundreds of thousands of drone pilots, manufacturers and software companies daily. In doing so, this guarantees the airport the best available view of the sky and nearby drone operations, ensuring a growing sector of the aviation market is able to access the new airport UTM Service.
For larger airports with counter-UAS solutions, data from on-site surveillance systems can be optionally integrated to give airport security staff greater situation intelligence which is a critical step in encouraging greater drone use.
The solution can be rapidly deployed and configured for airports of any size; providing a flexible platform for enabling drones to be safely integrated in the airspace around these facilities: a crucial step in unlocking a wide variety of unique use-cases for drones.
Key features of GuardianUTM Enterprise include:
Digitalisation of pre-flight and take-off approvals to drone operators within airspace
Offers high levels of automation, including customised automated access policies and approval workflows of unmanned operations.
Supports UTM Service Discovery via Altitude Angel’s developer platform – a capability which allows 3rd party vendors to create integrated services which can locate and submit access requests in a standardised format, globally.
Integrates with existing surveillance infrastructure to improve aerial monitoring of all airspace users within the airport’s vicinity, adding intelligence to existing counter-UAS solutions.
Simon Wynn Mackenzie, Altitude Angel, VP Products said: “We’re excited to be making the solution generally available, giving airports and airfields across the globe the chance to have an even fuller picture of the airspace they manage and an option to welcome safely integrated drone traffic into their operations. When designing the solution, we analysed common ‘pain points’ of airports and ensured they were addressed. We wanted to ensure we created something airports and airfields needed to support them in integrating and scaling unmanned operations safely; something which can grow with their operational needs both now and well into the future.
“The solution we’ve created can be introduced easily and gives users instant visibility over the sky they manage and an interface which can be exposed to the drone industry. Plus, those wishing to utilise drone services will have a mechanism to see which airports are ‘UTM Ready’. With an easy-to-use operational interface for airport operators which requires minimal training and no additional on-site hardware to be deployed – but with the option at larger airports to integrate with existing electronic flight management systems, the intuitive ‘top-down view’ allows airspace managers to clearly distinguish authorised and unauthorised drones in real-time and take appropriate action.”
Built on cloud infrastructure, GuardianUTM Enterprise is continuously updated with the latest and most accurate aeronautical data available and draws on data from Altitude Angel’s growing ecosystem through its real-time connection to Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM Cloud. The platform also offers uncompromising scalability and security, with the ability to scale airspace regions, and to offer increasingly complex digital approval and even automated workflows as operational capacity expands and new drone services develop.
25 March 2021
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Home Office, Police and CAA join together to act on drone crime
Operation Foreverwing will raise awareness of enforcement work taking place around drones
More than 330 drone-related incidents recorded during the last five months
LONDON, 22 March 2021: The Home Office, Police and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today announce a new campaign aimed at clamping down on drone-related crimes, after 336 drone-related incidents were recorded during the last five months in the UK.
The new campaign, Operation Foreverwing, will see the three organisations work together to show the work the Police is doing around tackling drone crime, in a bid to deter drone owners from breaking the rules.
The Police has dedicated drone teams located across the country, tasked with enforcing the law by handing out fines and confiscating drones if people fail to stick to the rules. With the CAA setting the rules for drone flying, the campaign will raise awareness of the rules while reminding those tempted to break them of the consequences.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for counter Drones, Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, said:
“The use of drones has increased dramatically in recent years and as a result of that we are seeing instances of dangerous and irresponsible flying.
“If you are a drone owner it is your responsibility to make sure you are following the rules for your own safety and that of others around you.
“These rules can be found in the Drone Code on the CAA website.”
UK law now dictates that CAA registration is mandatory for operators of drones over 250 grams and all drones other than toys that are fitted with a camera. Failure to register leaves drone users at risk of penalties up to £1,000.
The campaign will see more cooperation between the bodies and joint education targeting drone users.
Jonathan Nicholson, Assistant Director of Communications, CAA, said:
“With close to 200,000 registered drone owners across the UK, the skies are becoming increasingly busy. Our objective is not to stop people having fun or using their drone for business, it’s to make sure that everyone can share the air safely and that means sticking to the rules outlined in the Drone Code.
“Drones can cost thousands of pounds, and with fines for breaking the rules, the costs can quickly add up for those failing to comply.”
For more information on UK drone regulations, registration and the Drone Code please visit www.caa.co.uk/drones
22 March 2021
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Improve the efficiency of UAV LiDAR surveys with longer flight times
Small improvements to a drone LiDAR survey can make big differences in efficiency, productivity and safety. A major limiting factor for any UAV survey is the drone’s battery life which, along with the weight of the payload, impacts on the drone’s flight time. Imagine the improved productivity and scope of work which could be undertaken if the drone’s flight time could be significantly increased.
Skyfront and Routescene explored the impact on productivity of using the longest endurance gasoline-electric hybrid multicopter drone, the Skyfront Perimeter 8.
The impact of reducing downtime
Typically a drone utilising lithium polymer batteries, such as a DJI M600, and carrying a 3.3kg payload (for example a Routescene UAV LiDAR system) would operate with a flight time of around 15-20 minutes. Landing, replacing the batteries and take-off between each flight can take longer than the flight itself, directly influencing the size of the survey area that can be flown each day.
To compound this, larger survey sites may require multiple take-off and landing sites, which means all the equipment needs to be moved from one site to the next, further limiting the number of flights in a day. The Skyfront and Routescene teams knew that increasing flight times, thereby reducing the unproductive time in a survey day, could significantly impact on data collection productivity.
The teams tested the Skyfront Perimeter 8 drone carrying a Routescene UAV LiDAR system at the Skyfront headquarters in Menlo Park, California, USA. The Skyfront Perimeter 8 is an eight rotor hybrid UAV designed for carrying heavier payloads such as LiDAR. The Perimeter 8 has both rotor and complete engine redundancy for safety. The results: the Perimeter 8 drone was able to fly for a total of three hours carrying the Routescene payload.
Gert Riemersma, Founder and CTO of Routescene, commented, “Through this testing the team found the greatest benefit gained was regarding efficiency. Due to the longer flight times, only one take-off and landing site was required, removing the need to travel between sites to repeatedly set up. In addition, a considerable amount of time was saved simply by eradicating turn-around times to replace batteries. We estimated that by achieving 3 hours of flight time at 5m/s you can readily cover 54 survey line kilometres, or just over 500 acres. This is equivalent to roughly 10 x M600 flights, which would normally take two days to complete. An impressive result, reducing two days of surveying into less than one day, simply by eliminating downtime.
The Routescene UAV LiDAR system has been designed to maximise productivity, with a solid state disc onboard capable of storing over 13 hours worth of data, more than enough for a full day in the field. The quality of the data being collected is monitored in real-time during the entire drone survey using Routescene’s QA Monitor, a web based app, to make sure you leave the survey site with the data you need. At the end of the survey the data can be downloaded and checked in the field using Routescene’s LidarViewer Pro data processing software.
Gert added, “Routescene has a strong ethos of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). Implementing rigorous QA/QC improves data quality and efficiencies. QA Monitor gives you confidence in the data you are collecting while you are collecting it. The last thing you want after completing a long survey flight is to realise there was an issue and the team has to mobilise to fly the area again. It prevents time being wasted, you can identify an issue immediately, remedy it there and then in the field, bringing further efficiencies to the increased gains brought by longer flight times.”
The significance of longer flight times
Longer flight times have a positive impact on safety too. The riskiest parts of a UAV flight are the take-offs and landings, when the drone is under manual control and hence when accidents are most likely to occur. Reducing the number of take-offs and landings obviously directly reduces the probability of an accident.
Brian Maxwell, VP of Business Development at Skyfront, confirmed, “Our flight time of 3 hours was particularly impressive and allowed a huge volume of 3D data to be collected efficiently. We found that we could considerably improve the resilience, efficiency and safety of UAV LiDAR surveys by increasing the flight time.”
Christian Andresen from the University of Wisconsin added, “In 2017 and 2018 we surveyed areas of the Arctic as part of the NGEE Arctic project researching changes to permafrost and ecosystem structure. What we observed over the 2 years whilst working there was how much drone technology improved and the positive impact that had on flight times. The Arctic location was exceptionally remote and all incremental improvements make a huge difference to our efficiency and reduce time spent in the field. A drone that could fly for 3 hours would make a dramatic difference for our future surveys in this remote area.”
For more information on the Skyfront Perimeter 8 drone and Routescene UAV LiDAR system, please visit www.routescene.com and www.skyfront.com.
Video
Footage of the drone in flight with the Routescene LidarPod payload is available at https://youtu.be/qnxyMHqfDaQ
Photographs
The Routescene UAV LiDAR system mounted under the Skyfront Perimeter 8 drone undergoing endurance testing in California.
London, UK; Altitude Angel has today announced it expects to become Europe’s foremost supplier of UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technologies enabling nationwide drone operations globally within the next 18 months, as it releases new figures which detail the vast and extensive use of its UTM operating system and cloud platform.
In the UK, Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM platform, which is the technology behind many of the leading drone-specific flight planning platforms as well as the UK’s most trusted airspace awareness tools and apps, has supported more than 20,000 drone operations in Controlled (CTR) and Restricted Airspace (FRZ) over the past 12 months with this number expected to rise significantly in 2021.
“General and commercial aviation traffic has been greatly reduced as a result of COVID. Quieter skies have enabled a huge acceleration in the development and demonstration of drone, or RPAS, technologies,” said Richard Parker, Altitude Angel, CEO and co-founder. “As the UK and Europe begin to emerge from the pandemic, we expect drone operations will continue and grow at an even faster pace and Altitude Angel will continue its role as a critical player in ensuring every flight can be conducted safely.”
With an estimated 1m drone flights conducted across Europe every week, Altitude Angel expects at least a fifth of them to regularly ‘touch its estate’ via its many industry integrations at some time over the next 12 months, with this figure only set to increase as commercial drone use and urban air mobility become common place.
As well as providing the software platform on which pioneering countries such as the Netherlands and Norway are building country-wide drone eco-systems, with several other high-profile rollouts coming in 2021, Altitude Angel’s UTM technologies are the platform on which several high-profile critical trials and demonstrations are enabled by in 2021.
These include:
Fly2Plan – UK
Project XCelerate – UK
Airspace of the Future – UK
Bringing Air Taxi Services to the South West Region – UK
AMU-LED – Spain, Netherlands and UK
DSNA U-Space Together – France
Skyfarer – UK
Richard added: “We are passionate about our work with future-focused ANSPs, enterprise businesses, regulators, and those developing airspace management platforms to enable a safer sky for all. Airspace integration is key and GuardianUTM is the market-leading platform which fosters and encourages innovation by enabling all stakeholders in the drone industry to operate safely.
“Our vast cloud network of drone manufacturers, pilots, software companies, and other innovators enables us to bring clarity to a rapidly developing industry and offers pioneering countries the ability to offer a safe path for all drone operations to be conducted safely, now: and importantly, on truly tried and tested technology. No other company offering a national, enabling UTM platform is able to demonstrate this track record.
“ANSPs who deploy this technology send their country and the drone industry a strong statement: ‘we care about you, we want to innovate with you, and we can accommodate you safely as a meaningful part of the aviation ecosystem, in an open, fair and equitable manner.’
“Already, GuardianUTM is empowering everything from drones delivering medical supplies in Scotland, to numerous UAM projects across mainland Europe, and here in the UK we see over 200,000 regular users via dronesafetymap.com, Drone Assist and Guardian mobile apps.”
Over the next six months Altitude Angel will be releasing a series of new functions and updates to its award-winning platform which will further increase the ability of drone pilots to conduct operations in controlled and uncontrolled airspace. Furthermore, the company is set to unveil a suite of new, upgraded apps for drone pilots, which will also be made available to ANSPs around the world, which will encourage flight planning and reporting as a vital part of the U-Space regulations.
Accountancy firm PwC predict by 2030, jobs within the UK drone industry should reach 628,000, with over 76,000 drones operating in British skies.
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Meet the Women in Drones
What can be achieved with drones is evolving on a daily basis. From performing inspections, surveys, photography, videography and saving the environment. Despite the constant technological developments, the industry itself looks a little outdated.
While the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) doesn’t keep track of the gender of those applying for permission to carry out drone operations, a quick look at the industry as a whole tells you all you need to know. In March 2020, only 3% of airline pilots worldwide were women, in the UK the figure was just 6%. You can speak to anyone within the drone sector and they’ll tell you, when it comes to drone piloting, there is little evidence to suggest such gender-based disparities aren’t apparent.
It is estimated that the percentage of women drone pilots in the UK is just 4%.
While the numbers are still low, there are opportunities for women in drones. However, in order to achieve real equality in the workforce, the industry will need to start earlier – supporting STEM education and drone training for girls who may someday fill leadership positions.
The world of drones might still feel futuristic to many, but technology is developing rapidly. It won’t be long until applications of drones are found in many aspects of our lives.
With International Women’s Day coming up on Monday 8th of March, here at Coptrz we have been doing our bit to raise awareness for the role that women play in this industry.
Don’t forget to join us on Clubhousein our ‘Women in Drones’ room. Every month we will be discussing the latest industry news with some very interesting women in the industry. Side note, men you are welcome too!
Meet the women impacting the drone industry
Caroline Earnshaw-Florczyk: “I tend to shy away from the thinking of ‘I’m a woman in a man’s world’ because I might end up sounding as bad as ‘I’m in a man’s world and women don’t belong in it’”
“I’m in an industry that’s classed as male-dominated full stop, and that’s been my experience for the last 6.5 years. I’m very much an equality-based person, I don’t like to be gender-specific and I believe everyone is capable regardless of gender. I tend to shy away from the thinking of ‘I’m a woman in a man’s world’ because I might end up sounding as bad as ‘I’m in a man’s world and women don’t belong in it’.
“I have been supported massively, internally at Networx3 by Ian (owner), he has been the driving force in encouraging me to be as involved as possible which is fantastic.
“I hope the industry develops for women and people take inspiration from the fact that we can all do whatever we want to do. I sadly don’t think the outlook on gender difference will ever be fully equal, though that would be a nice aspiration, I don’t think it will ever fully happen based on my experience. If anything, if anyone wants to see me as a hindrance because I’m a woman that just gives me more fire in my belly to go and do even better.
“Networx3 is an exceptional company for equality and diversity, always has been and always will be. I would love to encourage other women to get involved, have some fun and go out there doing a great job with great devices.”
Yasmin Tajik: “Becoming a drone pilot has opened up so many doors for me, to tell stories in a new way, to capture photos from a new perspective and inspire the next generation of female drone pilots”
“I’ve been a professional photographer for 12 years. I was aware of drones when they first came onto the market, but most of who I saw using them were men who were capturing landscapes. Because I was neither, I thought they were fun, but didn’t see an immediate need to have one for myself.
“It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that I went on a photography trip with my friends to Iceland, that 2 of them brought drones and that was my first, up close and personal experience with drones. After seeing my friends operating their drones, the wheels started turning and I realised that a drone would be a great tool to add to my photography gear to use to tell stories in ways that they hadn’t before.
Yasmin Tajik
“It was then that I also found Women Who Drone, a global community of women drone pilots that I felt supported, encouraged and inspired, so much so that I joined them leadership team as their Brand Ambassador Director. I honestly feel becoming a drone pilot has opened up so many doors for me, to tell stories in a new and exciting way, to capture photos from a perspective not seen before, and to pay it forward and inspire the next generation of female drone pilots.”
Gemma Alcock: “As a woman in a male populated industry, you will often be instantly underestimated before you even start to speak”
“I am the founder and CEO of SkyBound Rescuer, which is a leading organisation of specialists in the use of drones for public safety, with an aim to optimise drone performance for Emergency Services through our research-driven approach to problem solving. SkyBound Rescuer works with Emergency Services to develop their drone capabilities by researching into best practice, and we work with the drone industry to create better products and services for public safety in the UK and abroad.
“I have always been drawn to male populated activities; I played football as a child, skydived for my University team, beach lifeguarded during my summers, and then entered the drone industry. All of those activities are filled with mostly men/boys. I have always been surrounded by boys and I have never minded. That meant that I wasn’t deterred like some women by the fact that there were very few other women, however, the downside to that was that I wasn’t fully prepared for the challenges of being one of very few women when in a professional setting.
“As a woman in a male populated industry, you will often be instantly underestimated before you even start to speak, especially when you start out in the industry, which I was not expecting. To be clear, this won’t happen with everyone and it won’t happen every time, but it does happen more than it should. My advice here would be that people’s underestimations of you cannot hold you back unless you start believing them.
“If you start underestimating yourself as a result of their bias, then their misconceptions start to seep into your own self-worth, your own confidence, your own ambitions. Your gender does not determine your capabilities, it is your passion, your drive, your work ethic that enables you to succeed. And if you have those things, then you can do it, so believe it and keep believing! Everyone else will eventually believe in you too, because passion and ambition are contagious.”
Emily Bratt: “Our small numbers in this industry have allowed us to form a strong support network; women really do go the extra mile to look out for each other”
“As a geography graduate, I have always said I don’t want to be constrained to my desk. I want to be out there proving what is possible – this is exactly what the UAV industry is all about! With this comes the excitement that no day is ever the same (the industry certainly isn’t normal!). An example of this is Windracers first flight from Solent to the Isle of Wight. Originally a 4-year project, a call up high meant we (DronePrep, Windracers, Consortiq and University of Southampton) had to deliver in less than 2 weeks and we did it! Not knowing what is around the corner keeps us on our toes – it’s exciting!
Emily Bratt
“My time at DronePrep to date has had some incredible milestones. One that shines the brightest is how we brought together a consortium of Royal Mail, Skyports, what3words (and of course DronePrep) to achieve Royal Mails first ever delivery by drone on the Isle of Mull. Not only did this bring together two ‘rival’ addressing systems but, it bought hope for the future in a time when people needed it most. To put it into perspective, within the first 24 hours that the story broke, there was 111 million clicks!
“I have been surrounded by incredible women in the industry, but I am still aware that the UAV world is dominated by males. Occasionally I have received criticism from men stating that I ‘should not be in the industry’ and that I ‘do not belong here’ which had the potential to knock my confidence. However, I note that these comments do not represent the majority. I have seen and experienced that 99% of those in the industry (both male and female) want you to succeed!
“Our small numbers in this industry have allowed us to form a strong support network; women really do go the extra mile to look out for each other. Whether this be through clubhouse and webinars or meeting up in person for a coffee- nobody is ever alone! Women in Drones is extremely empowering, and I am proud to be a part of it!”
Stacey Dix: “I love turning up on site and achieving a different perspective on a location, being able to obtain shots that only a few years ago were near impossible…unless you had a helicopter”
“I work in the Traffic Data Collection Field, and have done for 10 years. 3 years ago we initially started to utilise drone technology as a tool to assist us in our day to day to work. From there we soon realised using drones not only assisted us in obtaining data but gave the client a high value, cost effective product, that is of superior quality and content than that provided through traditional data collection methods.
“I also gained experience in using tethered drones in order to fly for longer periods of time. Kestrel Surveys was established last March where I combined the two disciplines to become a UK leader in drone and traffic surveys.
Stacey Dix
“On a personal level using drones as a tool not only enhanced my work, but utilising technologies made it fun and interesting and sometimes nerve wracking when you’re being dive bombed by seagulls! I love turning up on site and achieving a totally different perspective on a location and obtaining shots that only a few years ago were not possible…unless you had a helicopter.”
Lexie Janson: “99% of people are awesome and supportive. While 1% can ruin it for everyone. Most of the time I am meeting with professionals who don’t make a big fuss out of me being a woman. I am a professional – done. But sometimes you get to meet people who are shocked you are a woman”
“I am a professional FPV drone racing pilot as well as videographer and photographer. I use FPV drones and Camera drones to take shots not available with normal cameras. I travel the world racing, and sharing my adventures with my YouTube audience through Vlogs and educational content showing everyone (and most importantly – girls) that everything is possible with work. And that there’s nothing you “can’t do”.
“Working in a male dominated industry, I’d say it’s both empowering and annoying. 99% of people are awesome and supportive. While this 1% can ruin it for everyone. Most of the time I am meeting with professionals who don’t make a big fuss out of me being a woman. I am a professional – done. But sometimes you get to meet people who are shocked you are a woman, ask for your “male colleague” to do the work, or on drone racing events – ask you to go to the spectators area to see how my boyfriend flies” (true story).
Lexie Janson
“I think women in general get more judgement for the things that don’t matter at all. (Like looks or the way we present ourselves). I am getting many weird comments and messages on socials but at the end of the day – it’s up to me to react. It’s just 1% we need to deal with and it’s already getting much better. I think women have a lot to show and achieve in the drone industry and we can steer it all together in better ways. Both male and female pilots.”
Meg Kummerow: “I’ve worked in a male dominated industry my entire life, but the drone industry a whole other level. I’ve been really lucky to work with really supportive males and have been able to impart my Agricultural knowledge to them which has been amazing”
“I am the founder of Fly the Farm. Fly the Farm provides drones, software and support to those in agriculture as well as to those wishing to provide services to the agricultural industry. Our purpose is to make the process of farmers buying a drone easy. We use our experience within agriculture to understand the needs of our customers, helping them choose the right drone for their needs. We use our knowledge of both agriculture and the drone industry, including regulations, to ensure our customers are fully informed on drone use in their business.
“My proudest achievement so far has to be getting involved in getting one Australian state government to open up spray drone licencing to operators. This was achieved with the assistance of many industry organisations.
Meg Kummerow
“For me, I’ve worked in a male dominated industry my entire life (Agriculture). However, I’ve found the drone industry a whole other level. I’ve been really lucky to work with really supportive males and have been able to impart my Agricultural knowledge to them that has allowed them to progress in their roles.”
Advice Centre
If you are a woman who is looking to get into the drone industry, here are some top tips to help you get started:
Join communities of like-minded people. I can highly recommend you check out Women Who Drone on Facebook, their closed Facebook group allows for lots of networking with other women in the industry.
Book a course. What are you waiting for? Here at Coptrz we offer a wide range of training courses to get you started on your journey. You can find out more here.
Get inspired! Find your niche. Get following women in drones on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to see what they are up to and the work they do in the industry.
The list of women in drones who are hugely contributing to the industry could go on and on, and someday your name might be on it, if you put aside your fear, do what you love and put all your heart into it!
If you have any questions about getting into the industry, get in touch today. We will help guide you to starting your journey in the drone industry.
Over and out – from the women in drones at Coptrz.
Coptrz are a member of ARPAS-UK
SAM IS ....
CAA response to the Airspeeder Incident
Background: In July 2019 there was an incident involving an Alauda Airspeeder MKII unmanned aircraft at Goodwood Aerodrome, West Sussex, during a demonstration flight. There were no fatalities or injuries, and the unmanned aircraft was destroyed.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigated the accident, and the report can be found on the AAIB website. The CAA is required to formally respond to the AAIB within 70 days.
CAA UAS Unit action: The CAA UAS Unit has been and will continue to be committed to continuously improve as the UAS regulator. The Unit has already initiated several workstreams to address the safety recommendations in the report and significant progress has been made.
The audit process had been reviewed and updated prior to this report, to ensure that there is suitable and appropriate oversight carried out. The team are finalising processes that will trigger additional on-site oversight based on the complexity of an operation or platform. There has been an upskilling within the team and recruitment of staff into the UAS Sector Team with specific operational and technical background in airworthiness and avionics, along with a policy to ensure the involvement of other capability areas is implemented where necessary.
We will: – Review application and authorisation processes for Specific category operations. – Review oversight and audit processes. – Review staff training and competency requirements. – Review policy relating to Specific category operations. – Review guidance in CAPs such as 722 and 722A.
We will keep our key stakeholder forum and representative organisations updated on progress.
CAA
4 March 2021
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Iprosurv seeks to bring greater professionalism to the drone sector with launch of new network proposition
Iprosurv, one of the UK’s leading commercial drone providers, has today launched Pilot Partnerships, an ambitious new proposition to bring together the nation’s independent operators and drive greater levels of professionalism across the sector.
Billed as a co-operative for commercial drone pilots, Pilot Partnerships aims to bring together the huge number of independent operators to provide mutual support, share best practice and work together to drive greater levels of professionalism and public trust in the sector.
Using Iprosurv’s proprietary software platform, members of Pilot Partnerships will have access to case management and flight planning software, data security, safety and environmental compliance support, tailored training, bespoke websites and a host of marketing and client prospecting support.
Commenting on the new initiative, Rebecca Jones, CEO and co-founder of Iprosurv, said: “The commercial drone industry is growing fast as more and more businesses look to new technology to solve old problems.
“But the commercial drone market is fragmented and made up of sole traders and micro-SMEs and the introduction of new regulations has made life tough for many. If we are to become the mature, professional industry that more and more sectors expect us to be, we have to come together, work together and grow together to create that.”
Iprosurv has a well-established network of drone pilots and has made a significant investment in ensuring that Iprosurv and its partners have the latest, safest technology available to help establish drones as a permanent feature of doing business.
“We have huge ambitions for our sector, but we know we can’t do it on our own and we don’t think the hundreds of independent, professional operators we want to work with across the country can do it on their own either,” said Jones.
“Which is why we have set up Pilot Partnerships. We hope that, in time and with the right partners, Pilot Partnerships will become the gold standard in the industry and a guarantee of quality and professionalism to clients of all shapes and sizes.”
Pilot Partnerships is the first mutually supportive, network proposition in the commercial drone sector in the UK. The target profile for potential members is sole operators and organisations that have a specific sector or technical expertise.
“As Iprosurv, we have made great inroads into our chosen sectors but as our profile has grown, the huge potential in other markets is becoming apparent and we want to bring all our compliance, operational and customer service expertise to as many sectors as possible,” said Jones.
“We are looking to partner with drone operators who have technical and operational experience but require the support of a larger organisation to exploit the opportunities they see or sector experts who can help introduce us, and our partners, to new markets.
“Together, we can make a mark on the economy and ensure that drones have an integral role to play.”
Entry into the Pilot Partnerships community requires a small one-off fee and small percentage share of fees.
This report summarizes best drone practices in 2020 concerning fire & rescue missions. These practices are the synthesis of lessons learned in the field, local emerging initiatives and common practices widespread from 62 fire and rescue services, police services (SAR actors) and rescue associations from 13 countries in the world.
This report aims to shed light on the tactical use possibilities for a drone team of an emergency service but also all the missions that can be carried out by drone for a layman.
It therefore aims to disseminate the state of the art of drone practices in rescue missions and also to promote the use of the drone by all emergency, rescue and firefighting services and crisis management.
