CAA Call for Volunteers: Electronic Conspicuity User Study
The UK Civil Aviation Authority, in partnership with Baringa and QinetiQ, is hosting virtual workshops in February to discuss Electronic Conspicuity (EC) device use. The sessions will look at how EC is used to detect airborne threats and how decisions are made to avoid airborne collisions.
They are looking for volunteers who are operationally qualified users from the following categories:
Specific and Certified Category RPAS Operators
Air Traffic Service Controllers
Commercial fixed and rotary wing flight crews
GA fixed and rotary wing flight crews
GA crews not routinely in receipt of air traffic services during flight, e.g., gliding, paragliding, hang gliding, ballooning
Participants cannot not have any connection to an EC manufacturer.
If you are interested in attending a workshop please email your name, contact details and which of the categories you fall under to: ec@caa.co.uk
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New Digital PDRA01 Application Tool Live in March!
The CAA aims to launch the new Digital PDRA01 Application Tool at the beginning of March. The aim is to simplify the PDRA01 application and renewal process, and to make it online.The key expected benefit is that applying for an OA will be made easy and quick. The review and approval process will also be automated and quicker.
The philosophy is that the Operator will make a number of declarations of Compliance to get the OA, which will formalise his/her commitment to follow the regulatory requirements and his/her legal responsibility. That responsibility has always existed, but the oversight regime of it is evolving.
Each and every application will no longer be individually renewed, at least not in detail, because the operator will have ticked the many required boxes and committed to compliance. The CAA oversight teams will focus more on conducting adhoc audits – a little but like tax returns and tax oversight regime.
A template PDRA01 Operations Manual will be provided, which should clarify what’s required to be compliant in practice as well.
Will it change the heart of PDRA01, meaning its obligations and privileges? Or the interpretation of them? Like the issue of distance from uninvolved persons? It is unclear at this stage, and we’ll continue engagement on that point.
Below are key extracts of CAA communication to drone operators due to renew soon, for transparency.
“This marks the first milestone in the Digitisting Specific Category Operations (DiSCO) project that aims to transform the Operational Authorisation process for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in the Specific Category.
Key features of the new PDRA01 Application Tool:
The new PDRA01 Application Tool aims to make it simpler and quicker for you to apply for a PDRA01 based Operational Authorisation. Key features include:
A streamlined application process: PDRA01 applications will be declarative in nature, reducing the amount of information required to be provided to us at point of application.
Faster authorisation: Authorisation outcomes will be provided within 24 hours.
Improved guidance and support: We’ve simplified the guidance on the CAA website to help you understand what you can do under a PDRA01, the requirements you need to meet and how to apply. We will also provide a new PDRA01 Operations Manual template that will help you to ensure you are compliant.
Self-service access: Once applications are approved applicants are notified by email.PDRA01 Operational Authorisation certificates will then be available to view and download at any time in My Registration.0
Oversight regime: Post-application, operators will continue to be subject to compliance oversight during the 12-month period over which their authorisation is valid, as part of our oversight regime. This will involve being asked to provide an up-to-date Operations Manual, along with evidence that the processes within it are being followed, such as logbooks.
What the launch means for operators:
When we launch the new PDRA01 Application Tool, we will only accept PDRA01 applications made via the new process. The existing PDRA01 application form will no longer be in use.
If you have started an application on the current PDRA01 application form (which you can do from 3 months before your expiry date), you will be able to continue and submit this application for 30 days after the system goes live. After this point, you will need to start a new application on the new PDRA01 Application Tool.
You will be able to renew your authorisation using the new tool from 28 days before it expires. Please note that you will need to have a valid Operator ID before you can start the application process.
Charges
The fee you pay for Operational Authorisations pays for both the initial, and ongoing regulation of the RPAS industry, including assessing applications, ongoing oversight and introducing new and improved technology such as the new PDRA01 Application Tool and the associated upkeep of the new technology system (and broader DiSCO programme).
The fee for applications made on the new PDRA01 Application Tool will be £290 for applications made on or before 31st March 2024, and £314 for applications made on or after 1st April 2024 (as per the 2024/25 Scheme of Charges). There will only be one flat fee going forwards to streamline and simplify the process.
Please visit the CAA website for further information on charges.
How we’ll let you know when the tool is live
We’re aiming to launch the tool at the beginning of March. We’ll email you again when the tool is live and ready to use. You will also be some of the first users of the new process, so there will be increased support available for you, should you have any issues. “
A-L Scaillierez
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CAA Innovation Funding
During the CAA Finance Service Forum on 8 December 2023 and covering among other matters the “FY2024/25 Charging Consultation Proposals”, the CAA introduced a proposal for “a further new activity price increase of 3.0% across our safety schemes, providing a contribution to the CAA’s role in enabling innovation in the sector, particularly Future Flight which will deliver benefits to existing users through enabling the safe integration of new users, as well as to those new users who will in time be part of the aviation system and at that point make a financial contribution to regulatory costs.”
That proposal would help fund 10% of the costs supported by the CAA, with the government funding the other 90%.
ARPAS-UK supports the proposal, and we believe that innovation will benefit all airspace users.
10 January 2024
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CAA: Consultation on Vertiports
The CAA are consulting on aerodrome design where vertiports or areas for VTOL aircraft operations differ from that of traditional aerodromes. Comments from this consultation will inform their final design proposals that will form the requirements to supplement:
best practises for vertiport implementation at unlicensed aerodromes
The CAA defines a vertiport as a type of aerodrome or operating site that is used or intended to be used for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of VTOL aircraft.
The CAA invites stakeholders togive them your views, responses are requested by 15 March 2024.
19 January 2024
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Opportunity to take part in the World Meteorological Organization UAS Demos 2024
The WMO Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Demonstration Campaign (UAS-DC) aims at demonstrating the potential capability of UAS to play a role as an operational component of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) under the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).
The scope of the campaign is elaborated below and is based on key requirements and expectations that are derived from the theme and the aims.
Element of Scope
Proposed
Observations Period
6 months, from 1 March to 30 September 2024
3 x Special Observing Periods (SOP)
Periods where participants are requested to undertake observations with, where possible:higher temporal resolution – more frequent flights with observations made at a higher frequencyWith wider coverage – observations from more sitesThe SOPs are expected to occur as follows:April 2024, all month, with high priority on the week commencing on April 8 (overlapping with the total solar eclipse of April 8)5 – 12 August 2024, overlapping with the Paris Olympics9-15 September 2024, overlapping with the ISARRA flight week
Participants
Participant OperatorsWMO Member UAS operatorResearch UAS operatorPrivate UAS operator
Participant Data UsersMember Data UserNumerical Weather Prediction CentresOther applicationsResearch Data User
Other StakeholdersWMO, INFCOMICAONational Civil Aviation Authorities
Geographical scope
Global – participants from all regions, countries and locations where UAS are and can be flown in compliance with national airspace regulations.
UAS types
Autonomous copter or fixed-wing small UAS Remote-piloted copter or fixed-wind small UAS Automated high altitude fixed-wing UAS Remote-piloted high altitude fixed-wing UAS
Observations Locations & Modes
Observations from all locations and modes, including but not limited to:Oceanic Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) – Vertical profiles of the atmospheric boundary layer with UAS from stationary or moving platform location.Remote land, mountain, coastal and cryosphere observations and vertical profiles with UAS.Upper troposphere and lower stratosphere observations of UAS.Testbed observations and vertical profiling UAS.Symbiotic UAS observations collected by private UAS performing some other primary mission (e.g., package delivery).
Additional physical variableswind speedwind direction snow coversnow depthsoil moisturealbedoroughness lengthaerosols or particulatesvolcanic ashturbulence
Data Provision
Data provided by participant operators will be made with continuous, routine provision of data for at least 1 month during the demonstration observing period, in the Standard Data Representation Format to the central data repository and in Near-real Time, where:Continuous, Routine Data Provision – The making and provision of observations of the Required Physical Variables and associated Supporting Observational Metadata in accordance with the Modes of Operation at a frequency of at least once per day, on at least 4 days per week.Near-real Time – preferably within 30 minutes of the observation time if possible, and no later than within 3 hours as a maximum.Standard Data Representation Format (SDRF) – Data shall be submitted in a pre-defined NetCDF or WMO BUFR format tailored for UAS data representation.
So as to ensure that participants in the UAS Demonstration Campaign can help to best meet the scope and the aims of the campaign, it is necessary to impose some specific requirements of participants in terms of several aspects related to the role they will play as participants.
Participants fall into 2 main categories:
Participant UAS Operator – providing observations made by UAS in accordance with the Scope above.
Participant Data User – receiving and making use of the UAS data so as to determine and measure data quality and impact.
ECITB training helping ‘unlock drone potential’ for industry
In PwC’s latest market research on commercial drones, more than 80% of people said drones can have a significant impact within industry around cost and time savings, carbon reductions, productivity and safety.
However, the Bringing Trust in Commercial Drones report, an assessment of how industry attitudes to drones have changed, revealed only 43% of people feel drones are being used effectively by industry.
The findings followed on from PwC’s Skies Without Limits report a year earlier, which looked at the potential impact of drones on the UK economy.
In that report, the global professional services firm highlighted skills as an area that must be addressed to “unlock drone potential”, and this assessment was echoed in the 2023 report, with 56% saying drone use could be increased by introducing industry specific qualifications.
Creating drone training standards for industry
A few months after this report came out and following the success of a pilot programme, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) launched the quality-assured Foundation UAS Training Course.
Created in collaboration with the UK Drone Association, ARPAS-UK, alongside a working group made up of industry and drone experts, it develops the knowledge and skills needed to operate drones specifically in industrial environments.
ASG, a multi-disciplinary aviation and professional services consultancy, offers the ECITB course from its base near Salisbury, Wiltshire, as well as on location.
Managing Director Adrian Geal said: “The engineering construction industry is a highly regulated and professional space in which drones operate.
“To provide the specialist knowledge around regulations, safety management and practical flying skills, drone operators need to be taught to a higher standard than the more general GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate) qualification.
“This can be achieved through the ECITB syllabus. This ensures a drone operator can provide detailed project imagery outputs whilst meeting the highest standard of safety.”
ASG Chief Instructor Tom Martin added: “Remote pilots who pass this course can go out to industry, where this qualification is recognised as a standard, and bring ‘value added’ to a project.”
Foundation UAS Training Course ‘a meeting of two worlds’
“We start with a slide that talks about a meeting of two worlds,” said Jonathan Carter, Director at Global Drone Training, which was part of the initial working group and helped put together the course content.
“In terms of the drone world, we’re talking about legislation, Civil Aviation Authority, certifications, drone knowledge and data management. We’re merging that with the industry world of site and asset knowledge and procedures, safety training, and proof of competence.
“The main takeaway we make sure they go away with is an understanding and appreciation of how complex operating drones on an industrial site can be and with the knowledge to operate safely.”
Global Drone Training delivers training from its Swansea and Norwich bases but also provides the course on site, such as for Sellafield in Cumbria.
With no previous training standard for flying drones in industry, Global Drone Training Director Elliott Corke says the course has created a “benchmark” that didn’t already exist.
He added: “Employers know people have the right level of skills to come on site and operate a drone if they have this certificate.”
Raising awareness of benefits to industry
Using drones has many advantages, particularly in engineering construction sectors. Exposure to work-at-height risks and other hazardous environments can be significantly reduced through drone use for asset inspections.
However, as the PwC report outlines, 59% of those asked believe drone use could be increased by “improving clarity” on their benefits to industry.
“There needs to be more awareness of what drones can do and how they can be used by industry,” said Elliott.
The week-long ECITB course delivers this awareness through its different classroom and practical modules.
As well as carrying out a practical flight competence test, where operatives pilot a drone in a real environment and capture, store and share viable images, the theory side covers all considerations for operating a drone on an industrial site.
These considerations include how to comply with site policies; the weather; type of drone; environment; data protection; emergency and reporting procedures; risk assessments; pre-flight planning and checks; and human factors.
Westminster eForum on Drones 16 Jan’24: Key Takeaways
Strong and diverse keynotes today at Westminster eForum on drones to the question: “What priorities and next steps for the UK drone industry?” Our key messages were focusing on “Actions in 2024 to grow the commercially possible at scale & at a reasonable cost of compliance in the Here and Now”. Similar to the crawl, walk, run approach mentioned by John McKenna at Sees.ai in his keynote. ARPAS-UK CEO Anne-Lise Scaillierez delivered our organisation’s keynote, reflected on why industries use drones (professional tool to collect data in a safer smarter cheaper way, CO2 reduction journey, and beyond data capture Advanced Air Mobility) and highlighted as 2024 Top 5 priorities:
1. to collectively deliver the upcoming DfT-led Future Flight Action Plan, and where possible accelerate milestones, such as routine BVLOS operations
2. Secure the CAA’s funding and access to skilled resources. CAA teams are very professional and working very hard in a challenging environment. Yet, still months to get approvals for more complex operations. Innovation much broader than drones: Airspace Modernisation Strategy, alternative propulsion, Net Zero…
3. Focus on low-hanging fruits to expand the scope of the “commercially possible at scale”:
+/ Atypical airspace as a start to long distance BVLOS operations
4.Successfully transition to international “SORA”-based regulatory framework: opportunity for regulatoryclarity, simplicity, risk proportionality, digitisation
5.Pursue collaboration, education to accelerate the adoption by end-user industries
Jenny Ward at DfT delivered a well-rounded brief that demonstrates the support of DfT to our industry.
Many speakers reflected on a broader perspective as well, beyond 2024 actions, looking at 2030 and embracing Advanced Air Mobility. We agree with them… but like the idea of collectively getting a few simpler things done this year rather than next year!
We’re proud to count as ARPAS-UK members a number of speakers: Paul Luen at COPTRZ, Elliot Parnham at Skyfarer, Dave Pankhurst at BT , Richard Parker at Altitude Angel, and John McKenna at Sees.ai.
Thanks to #wefevents for having us speak and to fellow presenters.
The full transcript and video recording will be made available by the organisers. Please reach out if you would like to discuss the specific input of other speakers. membership@arpas.uk.
by: Anne-Lise Scaillierez
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How London Heliport used GuardianUTM Approval Services to improve safety and increase efficiency
Heliport was facing a growing number of drone flight requests. And it was causing problems.
London Heliport’s Flight-Restriction Zone (FRZ) encompasses a number of locations: Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Stamford Bridge stadium, HMP Wandsworth, and many more. Unsurprisingly, hundreds of drone operators apply to fly within London Heliport’s FRZ, with the numbers increasing each year.
Each application requires its own risk assessment to ensure the safety of the heliport’s staff and passengers, not to mention the time and resources spent handling each request.
London Heliport needed a way to streamline the approvals process while maintaining strict operational safety.
Which is why London Heliport now works with Altitude Angel.
London’s only CAA-licensed heliport
Sitting opposite Chelsea Harbour for over 50 years, London Heliport is the only CAA licensed heliport serving the City of London. Providing a huge suite of luxury services to both VIPs and the business community, including private charters and airport transfers, it also serves as a departure and arrival point for events both in and around the City.
The heliport also provides local emergency services such as the London Air Ambulance with the facilities they need, helping them keep people safe and save lives.
With so much traffic coming in and out of the Heliport, safety is an absolute priority. Unauthorised drone flights can pose a huge risk to pilots and passengers, which is why the team is keen to work with and accommodate drone operators as much as possible. But the sheer number of flight applications was starting to make that difficult.
Struggling under administrative burden
Unfortunately, the growing number of drone flight applications submitted to the heliport was causing a strain on resources.
“Our main role is providing a VIP service to helicopters and passengers here. The guys at the front desk were trying to support passengers but having to spend loads of time dealing with drone flight applications.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
The source of the issues lay in the application process. Drone operators would contact the heliport and be sent an application form. The team would process the application, diligently checking it against other planned operations and assessing the risk. Where the application was found to be incomplete, the team would need to spend extra time seeking missing information from the drone operator.
If the team’s risk assessment determined the application was safe to approve, they would do so and manually process the administration fee by credit card machine or by verifying a wire transfer.
“It was long-winded and used up a lot of your time. One application could take you about half an hour.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
Processing up to 800 applications a year meant London Heliport was investing resources into 400 hours (and rising) of drone flight approvals.
Once a flight was approved, it was manually added to a central spreadsheet. Unfortunately, this didn’t give the team the visibility it needed.
“The biggest problem with the spreadsheet was it was huge. Last time I looked, there were over 700 permits. And flights weren’t listed individually. Permits were issued with date ranges. A line on the spreadsheet saying a pilot has a permit for a year doesn’t tell me what’s happening today.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
This meant that the Heliport’s audit trail needed a degree of interpretation to demonstrate operational safety, as well as relying on records of calls with individual drone operators on the day.
What they needed was a platform that would make the application process simple, straightforward, and efficient.
A platform like GuardianUTM Approval Services.
Easier, quicker, safer
Implementing GuardianUTM’s Approval Services took the burden away from London Heliport’s resources while maintaining operational safety.
Drone operators simply use one of Altitude Angel’s free drone planning tools to submit a flight request to operate in London Heliport’s FRZ. The platform consolidates all flight and operator information, saving the team time on verifying all the necessary information. Administration fees can even be automatically processed upon approval.
From half an hour per application, London Heliport saw dramatic time savings.
“Getting the approval service on GuardianUTM changed the game completely. Straightforward applications take significantly less time. Even ones with issues are much easier and faster. It has shaved off so much time.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
More importantly, these time savings don’t come at the price of safety. In fact, GuardianUTM makes it easier to conduct thorough risk assessments by bringing all the necessary data together in one place and the reduction in time has enabled us to keep our administrative fees from rising as demand increases.
The London Heliport team can see ground and air data from within London Heliport’s FRZ, as well as providing situational awareness of activity outside the FRZ, in a single view. Making it not just quicker and easier to conduct risk assessments, but ensuring such assessments are more comprehensive than ever.
“The situational awareness map is incredible. What you can see on there, and all the extra information is brilliant. This was one of the big selling points for us. It all shows up on the system. It gives us a picture of what’s going on.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
Continuing to make things better
Working with London Heliport has been an absolute pleasure, and we’re thrilled to see how much our GuardianUTM platform has helped them. And this is just the beginning.
“Altitude Angel’s service has been brilliant. And they’re working with us to constantly improve the system.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
All the while, we continue to provide London Heliport, and the drone operators flying within its FRZ, with any help they need to make the application process as straightforward as possible.
“The Altitude Angel team is brilliant. I know if anyone needs guidance, we can pass them on to the team to get the help they need.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
