FLY SMART, FLY SAFE
| Mark Wharry, the GA & RPAS Safety and Oversight Manager with the Civil Aviation Authority, shared his perspective on the UK RPAS regulatory landscape. |
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| – 7000 operators in the specific category, with an Operational Authorisation OA – 600 000 registered operators in the Open and Specific categories – The GA and RPAS Safety & Oversight team grew significantly. The RPAS sector team now includes 11 inspectors and 5 surveyors. The team works in close relationship with the Innovation Team and the Rapid Capability Office. – The UK SORA Specific Operations’ Risk Assessment (SORA), expected for March 2023, is the key policy development target. – Also: a simplified version of the Open category vs Europe, for example by limiting the number of Classes of drones – currently 7, from C0 to C6 in the EASA framework – – Also: the scalability of the specific category requirements depending on operations’ complexity, including pilot qualifications and the ability for RAE to deliver more complex qualifications. The UK SORA will from part of the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM) to UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947. Moving forward, the AMC & GM document will replace a significant proportion of what is currently contained within the CAP 722 series. It is therefore an important piece of regulation for all drone operators, especially in the specific category. ALS |
DroneX invite: UK RPAS – The Regulator’s Perspective As the UK RPAS industry develops and grows, the Civil Aviation Authority has the dual remit of ensuring it does so safely, while proactively and directly enabling the innovation the sector is known for. With technological change and development happening at a rapid pace, what is the safety regulator’s view on how to balance these requirements, integrate with traditional aviation, and truly open up the UK’s skies? Bio: Mark Wharry was an RAF fast jet pilot and instructor for almost 20 years, flying combat missions in the Tornado GR4. Later, he flew the MQ-9 Reaper RPAS, training alongside the US Air Force before completing over 1000 operational hours in support of Operations HERRICK and SHADER. As an experienced instructor, he served as Officer Commanding Reaper Standards and Evaluation, with responsibility for ensuring the combat readiness of the RAF’s MQ-9 Force. He was the first pilot to be rated as an ‘A’ grade instructor on any RPAS, and the first accredited Central Flying School Examiner on an uncrewed platform. He is the CAA’s most experienced RPAS pilot and is now the Safety and Oversight Manager for General Aviation and RPAS, leading teams of inspectors and surveyors who handle all external oversight for both communities. He is an MBA student and loves flying in all its forms. |
| For more information, please connect to DroneX website: https://www.dronexpo.co.uk/speakers/mark-wharry/ |
| The University of Birmingham, in collaboration with the ESRC and the UKRI’s ISCF Future Flight Challenge, is offering a programme of nine grants: · 7 grants of £150 000 each + 2 research policy fellowships £80 000 each · Submission date: 16 November 2022 · Start date: 1st April 2023. 14 months · Eligibility: primarily UK-based researchers who are eligible for ESRC funding. · Benefit of a collaboration with ARPAS-UK can be discussed. Theme 1: Innovation by and for social and community need. · 1a) Grant 1: Focus on disability and accessibility · 1b) Grant 2: Focus on marginalised groups’ access and experiences · 1c) Grant 3: Focus on digital exclusion from Future Flight transport · 1d) Grant 4: Focus on socio-economic exclusion/inclusion Theme 2: Future Flight Ecosystems and Enterprises. Theme 3: Governance and Trustworthiness. Theme 4: Spatiality of Future Flight For further information on the grant call, and how to apply please follow this link: www.birmingham.ac.uk/futureflight If you have any questions, please get in contact at: ffcsocialscience@contacts.bham.ac.uk. ALS |
27 September 2022
Success for Lincolnshire Police Drone Education event
Lincolnshire Police were delighted to welcome members of the public and guest speakers to their education and information event on drone safety and legislation.
The event was attended by members of our communities who wish to fly drones. The event, led by Chief Drone Pilot, Kev Taylor, aimed to educate rather than enforce; they would rather people fly drones safely and legally.
Feedback from people who attended was significant, in that there is a real need to engage and educate. Comments included:
They were also joined by Sean Hickey from Geeksvana, a nationally recognised influencer and educator in the safe use of drones. He gave a balanced view on flying drones and provided an insight into the law surrounding the hobby.
Kev Taylor, Chief Drone Pilot for Lincolnshire Police, gave a great presentation showcasing how the use of drones in policing keeps people safe, can identify suspects on the run, can be used for intelligence purposes and for public events, can monitor crowd dynamics, be used for counter terrorism purposes.
Squadron Leader Simon Reavill, from Royal Air Force Waddington, gave a presentation on the dangers of drones to their aircraft which use the same airspace. He talked about the provisions in the legislation to keep everyone safe, while enabling everyone to use the airspace for their own enjoyment.
Chris Bradbury from the British Drone Flyers Association talked about the professional use of drones and went further into drone legislation, apps that are helpful and tips of the trade when flying a drone to keep everyone safe.
The event which was held at Police Headquarters, Nettleham, attracted national interest as a useful approach in engaging drone users. This event runs alongside training for our own officers in what is an expanding hobby and profession.
The event, held on Sunday 25 September, was possible due to the guest speakers kindly giving their time for free.
Information on flying and using drones can be found on the Civil Air Aviation website Remotely piloted aircraft and drones | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)
For more information on the use of police drones, follow @LincsCOPter
25 September 2022
As of 20 September 2022, there is a change in the Aviation Minister. Many thanks must go to Robert Courts MP for his hard work, especially in the fields of airspace and innovation including RPAS.
We welcome back the The Baroness Vere of Norbiton as the new Aviation Minister and look forward to being in touch regarding policy development.
20 September 2022
CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Valqari is excited to announce that it is combining efforts with IDU Group, providing a complete drone delivery infrastructure from rooftops and the windows of buildings to a complete product line of drone mailbox and drone locker ground stations. As part of this merger, Ryan Walsh will continue as CEO of Valqari while Kevin Duckers, founder and former CEO of IDU Group, will act as Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Valqari.
This new, combined entity will be focused on providing the next generation of drone infrastructure across multiple high-growth industries. The companies have had a strong relationship for several years and this merger significantly strengthens the joint product lines within the industry. The merger brings together two of the leading drone delivery infrastructure companies with complementary expertise and operations, creating a single force to meet the ever-growing demand for drone infrastructure solutions. It also provides Valqari with multi-continent coverage by utilizing both North American and European teams.
“Adding IDU’s impressive and extensive team and technology gives us an even stronger platform to offer our customers. Our vision is to provide customers with the solution that best fits their needs, all on one interconnected platform for ease of use by the various drone operators,” said Ryan Walsh, CEO and Founder of Valqari. “We will be working tirelessly to provide the next generation of drone infrastructure using the best of both of our technologies under the Valqari flag, offering customers Valqari’s current line of Drone Delivery Stations and Drone Mailboxes, as well as incorporating SmartBox into our product portfolio.”
Valqari has solved the “last inch” logistic problems associated with drone deliveries. With 28 patents in 16 countries, Valqari’s Delivery Station is a universal drone receptacle for package delivery and pick-up, working with nearly any drone model. The addition of IDU’s unparalleled team, intellectual property, and technology will allow Valqari to continue to revolutionize drone deliveries for industries including pharmaceuticals, meal delivery, grocery services, governments, and residential e-commerce by adding even more comprehensive solutions to their growing customer base.
Complementary to Valqari’s mission, UK-based IDU Group solves the last link in drone logistics by creating the smart integrated infrastructure necessary for autonomous docking and delivery handoff – critical for unlocking scalable drone delivery.
“By joining Valqari, we will be able to establish the next generation of drone infrastructure and offer our clients, investors, and stakeholders a bigger, better and more diverse range of innovative products,” said Kevin Duckers, CEO of IDU Group. “Valqari has been and will continue to be the market leader in this space, and we are excited to merge our efforts under such a strong brand with an extensive patent portfolio.”
Valqari’s platform makes drone delivery possible and is transforming transportation in cities across the world. Valqari already provides products and services from the South Pacific to Europe, and the combined companies will not only serve those markets better with an established UK team but expand their geography to serve clients across the Middle East and Africa as they also seek to take advantage of the opportunities presented by this revolutionary technology.
City-wide drone delivery networks are the future of sustainable, efficient, and streamlined city infrastructure. Together under the Valqari name, these industry leaders will increase productivity and connectivity between customers, citizens, and services while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint. Going forward, Valqari will be making a number of major announcements before the end of 2022 as they work to alleviate stresses on an already overburdened last mile delivery network.
About Valqari
Valqari is a Chicago-based start-up and named the “Best Tech Startup in North America” in 2020 by Tech in Motion, has been a market leader in this space, creating the first ever Drone Mailbox in 2018, and in 2021 released the first commercial multi-user system, their patented Drone Delivery Station, which was recently named a finalist for mHub’s “Product of the Year.” Valqari has been and will continue to be the market leader in solving “last inch” logistic problems, particularly new ones involving the massive growth in the drone delivery market. Their products provide an entirely automated drone delivery covering hardware, software, and communication technology required for the entire system to work effortlessly. Valqari has 28 granted patents in 16 countries and territories including: the U.S., the U.K., Germany, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, South Africa, and several other countries in the European Union.
To learn more about Valqari, visit Valqari.com or contact them at info@valqari.com.
About IDU Group
Headquartered in Staffordshire, United Kingdom, IDU Group’s mission is to solve the last link in UAV logistics by creating the smart integrated infrastructure necessary for autonomous docking and delivery handoff that’s critical for unlocking scalable drone delivery.
IDU’s urban design systems combine mechanical engineering & edge computing solutions. Their products include the patented SmartBox along with several other unreleased models of infrastructure that will be the pillars of future autonomous operations.
Supporting city-wide drone delivery networks will increase productivity, sustainability, growth and connectivity between citizens and services.
For more information, please contact us at info@idu-group.com, visit https://idu-group.com/ or follow @idugrp on Twitter and IDU Group on LinkedIn.
20 September 2022
You might think ‘Read the manual’ is trite, but if you don’t (and understand it…) you can quickly find yourself in a bind
Welcome to Drone FEEDBACK Edition 5. In this edition of Feedback, there is something of a smorgasbord of reports from a number of different Drone Operator communities.
September 2022
Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as part of the overall security arrangements, several temporary airspace restrictions are already in force. Currently, the two temporary restrictions are: * RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS: BALMORAL CASTLE TO THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE, EDINBURGH 10 – 13 SEPTEMBER 2022. The briefing sheet for this restriction can be found here. * RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS: CENTRAL LONDON, 9 SEPTEMBER – 19 SEPTEMBER 2022.The briefing sheet for this restriction can be found here. The official source to obtain accurate and complete Aeronautical Information in the UK is the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), which contains details of all permanent airspace restrictions, and separately, details of temporary restrictions. In this instance, due to the short notice nature of these restrictions, they are promulgated as briefing sheets within the Aeronautical Information System, here. Please be aware that further restrictions will come into force in the coming days. We strongly recommend that you continue to monitor official sources of data regularly. 12 September 2022 |
We were delighted to meet so many members and key stakeholders, and to share our stand with a few members as well: Richard Gill of Drone Defence, Toby Townrow of Dronevolution and Chris Crockford of Electric Aviation. It was fantastic to see the interaction between them and other exhibitors and visitors, as well as being able to introduce a number of people to them.
This was the 2nd year of the UK’s only commercial UAV show, and focussed on The Future of Flight, Military & Defence, Emergency Services and the Commercial Sector.
With over 300 exhibitors and presentations, and positioned alongside Helitech, there was a wide variety of options for the visitor. Talks ranged from the Civil Aviation’s Mark Wharry on The Regulator’s Perspective (see our separate article on this keynote), PwC’s Craig Roberts on The Economic Impact of Drones on the UK Economy, to Inmarsat’s panel on Drone Deliveries: For the Good of our Health were fascinating, Thales’s Neil Watson on Accelerating the Adoption of Drone Services at Scale in the UK and Fraser Nash & The Thunderbird Project’s Stuart Keenan & Alan Bell on Priority Access to the Skies for Emergency Life-Saving Drones.
Now-Chair of ARPAS-UK, Graham Brown, spoke alongside Gordon Baker, the DfT’s Autonomous Systems Lead on Achieving the UK’s Drone Ambition and Some Steps to Achieve the Potential. If you would like a copy of this, please contact us.
There was a definite feel that the industry has become more well established, more mature and that it is being listened to by serious people. Where does the Show need to go from this solid position?
There are two complementary routes: one is to attract even more drone data end-users, i.e. industries using drones, to show how drones can help them deliver faster, safer, cheaper and more digital operations; the other is to attract (back?) the drone operators, for example by building on their professionalism via CPD sessions at the show. Sessions on different types of software, how to apply for an OSC, marketing your company, the importance of networking, the ins & outs of different types of work, how to go about finding work and how to apply for big contracts etc.
The team supporting DroneX have been very enthusiastic and supportive of the industry. They know our thoughts and we hope we will see this now being acted on.
If you would like to share your thoughts on how DroneX could evolve, please contact us membership@arpas.uk.
Exhibiting at DroneX 2023: 26-27 September 2023, London
12 September 2022
