Month: May 2024

SAM IS ....
Introduction to Risk Quantification Summary & BVLOS SIG next steps: watch again

We ran out of time at the ARPAS-UK Annual Conference 2024 – due to some excellent discussions in previous sessions and weren’t able to run this session. We promised to run a webinar on Risk Quantification and the next steps for the BVLOS Special Interest Group and this is it.

In addition the JARUS SORA v2.5 went live this week (20/6/24), which means it will be coming soon to a UK SORA which will go out for consultation. How will industry understand enough to respond?

Find out about this and more in the summary presentation on BVLOS and Risk Quantification that ARPAS-UK delivered in November 2023 – as well as Next Steps will be presented by Aleks Kowalski and Owen McAree.

Key Points that will be covered:

  • Introduction, Background & Context
  • Active Engagement
  • Fundamentals of Risk
  • Qualitative Risk Analysis
  • Course Fundamentals: Ground Risk, Air Risk
  • MAC Mitigations & Risk Ratios
  • Conclusions & Next Steps

About the Speakers

Aleks Kowalski

Aleks is an Airline Captain with 20 years aviation experience. In 2014, he co-founded UAVAir (RAE), which became Consortiq and in 2018 co-founded Neuron Innovations Ltd.  He now advises multiple organisations on BVLOS, alongside being a Director of ARPAS-UK he is also co-chair of the Drone Platform and Counter-Drone Special Interest Group for ADS.

He is a Flight Safety Specialist for BALPA  within their ATM, Environment and Emerging Technology Groups, and sits on many committees including standards bodies.  He is also the secretary and Founder Member of the Shared Airspace Council.   He holds an Engineering degree (MA) from Cambridge University, and a PGCE in Mathematics (Cantab). Having seen the influence an effective trade association can have at government level, Aleks looks at the longer-term strategic importance bringing together all UAS pilots, large and small, the ecosystems around them – whilst highlighting the value of education to make drones a career path.

Owen McAree

Owen spent over ten years working in aerospace engineering research, including building drones, writing the relevant software through to working out how to use them in the real world. This included working at distance, liaising with several Aviation Authorities and writing the Safety Cases for the projects.

This naturally showed him multiple different approaches to BVLOS operations, including Risk Quantification which rapidly became the clearest option, particularly in terms of scalability for companies.

Owen wrote and taught the ARPAS-UK RQ for BVLOS Operations that ARPAS-UK ran in the autumn 2023.

Watch the Interview between Elena Major & Owen McAree about the 2023 Risk Quantification courses:

SAM IS ....
How Drones can Support the Boom in Offshore Wind: webinar watch again

An online workshop on how drones are being used to support INTOG and Scotwind projects in northern Scotland so that windfarm developers can keep their projects on track and on budget without spending thousands in secondary inspections.

About the Speaker:

Matt Harmsworth

In the vibrant 1980s, young Matthew’s weekends were captivated by the high-octane adventures unfolding on his television screen: Murdoch’s aerial exploits, Street Hawk’s daring leaps, Knight Rider’s thrilling chases, and Blue Thunder’s chaotic flights. The excitement sparked a fire within him — a dream to soar the skies as an Army Air Corp helicopter pilot.

However, fate had other plans. At the tender age of 15, Matthew’s dreams were momentarily grounded by less-than-perfect eyesight.

Undeterred, Matthew channeled his adventurous spirit into a new endeavor. Just before his GCSEs, he embraced a fresh path, training as a countryside ranger. His boundless energy and relentless determination led him to establish and operate a thriving tree surgery company in Surrey for a decade.

In 2012, upon moving to the picturesque northern highlands of Scotland, Matthew stumbled upon the fascinating world of drones.

It was a serendipitous discovery that propelled him into a new realm of possibilities. Establishing the ROAVR Group, Matthew embarked on a globetrotting journey, immersing himself in the exhilarating domain of aerial robotics. His endeavors transcended the ROAVR Group, as he became a linchpin in ARPAS-UK, significantly impacting the regulatory framework for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). His engagement with governmental bodies, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Department for Transport (DFT), and international forums concerning the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), underscored his prowess in advocacy, negotiation, and diplomacy.

With the advent of the Scotwind leasing round, Matthew’s ingenious contributions were pivotal in fortifying wind developers’ assets. He spearheaded the creation of i-ROAVR, a revolutionary system first deployed in the Seagreen Project, and subsequently on Moray West, setting new benchmarks in asset protection.

Now, as a distinguished author, speaker, and consultant, Matthew’s wealth of knowledge and experience is an invaluable resource. He is available for personal consulting and speaking engagements, which can be arranged through this website.

Matt Harmsworth (matt-harmsworth.com)

SAM IS ....
ICO: Does your Small Business need a Bespoke Privacy Notice

Short on time but need a bespoke privacy notice for your small organisation? The ICO can help you. 

As a sole trader or small organisation you need a privacy notice to let your customers and suppliers, or staff and volunteers, know how you handle their information. 

Good news. Creating a bespoke privacy notice for your organisation just got a lot easier.  

The ICO’s new privacy notice generator will create a privacy notice you can use in your organisation in just 10-15 minutes. Or you can use it to check if your existing privacy notice is robust and up to date.  

We know that small organisations often have less time and resource, so the ICO’s new tool makes it quicker and easier for you to be data protection compliant.  

Use the ICO’s new privacy notice generator today, and let them know what you think.

And don’t forget to ensure you are registered with the ICO! Every organisation or sole trader who processes personal information needs to pay a data protection fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), unless they are exempt. For more information, click here.

SAM IS ....
RPAS ACOMS Notifications: change from 28 May 2024

The way Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) users notify the UK CAA about airspace notifications is changing. From 28 May 2024, users will need to use the UK CAA’s new Airspace Co-ordination Obstacle Management Service (ACOMS) portal. You will need to register on the CAA Customer Portal to then apply for the new ACOMS service. 

The new phase of the roll-out will allow drone users to submit requests directly to the regulator via a bespoke system for drone users that has been designed to provide simpler, fast, and more accurate processing.

14 May 2024

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Aviation Safety Culture: Fostering a Positive Safety Culture within the Drone Industry Webinar watch again

Safety culture is not just about following rules and ticking boxes; it is about creating a shared value of safety as a core principle within an organisation for its people and the business to thrive. Safety culture is part of a wider organisational culture, but has its own distinct values, beliefs and behaviours. To establish, manage and maintain an effective safety culture it is necessary to understand these safety related values, beliefs and behaviours, and how they influence safety performance.

This webinar will introduce safety culture and its importance across multiple industries, highlighting key benefits and impacts. In addition, we will review industry challenges to a positive culture for those new to the aviation community.

Speaker:

Sarah Lay, BSc (Hons), PGDip, GCGI, MRAeS

Senior Consultant, Ebeni Ltd

Sarah’s experience within the aviation domain has given her a broad experience set, which has fed her passion for this industry and its combination of innovative technology and human interaction. Throughout her career, Sarah is proud to have been able to contribute to its development and improvement in areas such as safety management, safety training, safety culture and human performance. Whilst focussing on managing and delivering safety and operational efficiency improvement initiatives, she has a keen interest in understanding wider societal implications such as environmental, safety, security and economic impacts.

SAM IS ....
CAA: CAP722G Released

CAP722G: Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace – Specific Category UAS Modification Policy

The aim is to allow certain technical changes to be made to the UAS during the validity period of an Operational Authorisation, without the need to apply to the CAA for a variation in the OA. It is intended specifically for companies doing R&D activities, however any operator could also include in its Ops Manual the relevant process enabling that implementation of minor technical changes.

CAP722G provides a definition and associated processes for a technical change to an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which is described in Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2019/947 AMC1 UAS.SPEC.030(2).

Aim
CAP 722G provides a definition and associated processes for a technical change to an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which is described in Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2019/947 AMC1 UAS.SPEC.030(2).

UAS.SPEC.030(2) requires a UAS Operator to apply for an update to their Operational Authorisation following any significant change to the operation.

AMC1 to this regulation currently sets out that a technical change may be considered a significant change.

This policy sets out that some technical changes are not significant, and so do not require a variation to an OA, as described in figure 1.

CAP 722G

2nd May 2024

SAM IS ....
Grey Arrows Drone Club obtains over 370 Byelaws relating to Recreational Drone Use

Over 370 Local Authority Byelaws and Policies on the Recreational Use of Drones are now available on Drone Scene.

Grey Arrows Drone Club is pleased to announce the integration of over 370 Local Authority Byelaws and Policies governing the recreational use of drones into our Drone Scene platform. This comprehensive data mapping comes as a result of more than 370 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to Local Authorities throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in March 2024.

The FOI request sought detailed information regarding the authorities regulations on the recreational use of drones from land under their jurisdiction.

Grey Arrows Drone Club asked each authority:

  1. Do you have any byelaws specifically relating to the recreational use of drones from your land? If yes, please provide:
    a) The date(s) of these byelaws.
    b) A digital copy of the byelaw(s) or a link to where these can be found on your website.
  2. In the absence of specific byelaws, do you have any policies relating to the recreational use of
    drones from your land? If yes, please provide:
    a) The date(s) of these policies.
    b) A digital copy of the policies or a link to where these can be found on your website..

Furthermore, over four million data points defining the exact boundaries of each Local Authority have been incorporated into the Drone Scene platform.

This high level of mapping detail enables Club members to find byelaw and policy information for each local authority with just a couple of clicks.

The results are available electronically and are available to club members at any time.

Drone operators are advised to consult local byelaws and policies before flying from publicly owned land.

Grey Arrows Drone Club is a member of ARPAS-UK.

Grey Arrows Drone Club – https://GreyArro.ws
Drone Scene – https://DroneScene.co.uk

1 May 2024 – Wigan, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.