We’re delighted that we’ll be seeing you all at this year’s event at Cranfield University, taking place on the 29th April, starting at 1100 and closing of doors at 1800.
Following the AGM in the morning, then lunch and networking, the Annual Conference will include talks and discussions across key industry themes. We’ll hear from end-users and sector leaders on market adoption, with speakers including Sellafield Ltd and Esri UK, followed by policy and regulation from the DfT and CAA, and sessions on innovation and airspace.
Interactive SLIDO will be run during the day to gather your views and questions
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
AGENDA 1100: Pre AGM & Networking 1130: AGM – Members Only 1200: Lunch 1300-1730: Annual Conference – Breaks & Networking 1800: Close of Event Read the full Agenda here
LOCATION Stafford Cripps 2 – 1st Floor (Grid 3D) Central Ave – Cranfield Wharley End – Bedford MK43 0AL Interactive Map What3Words: ///dearest.skins.prepped Find on Google Maps Train Stations: Milton Keynes Central and Bedford
PARKING & PERMITS If you are driving to the event, specific parking has been allocated to attendees: AIRC car park (grid 5D of campus map)(Google Maps) Please download, print the Parking Permit in advance, enter your vehicle registration and display the permit inside your windscreen. (Approx 0.3 miles / 7 min walk to Stafford Cripps building)
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact [email protected]
Cranfield University Interactive Map
Google Map Location
10 April 2025
SAM IS ....
Drones in Action: Live Flare Stack Offshore Inspection
Drones in Action End User Stories:
Traditional inspections of live flare stacks offshore require shutting down operations which can cost up to £4 million per day and are hazardous due to extreme heights and heat.
Drones are now being employed by companies for offshore inspections, enabling pilots to operate safely from shore while drones perform complex data collection tasks over the sea.
Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full
The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.
CAA: Test and Evaluation Annual Report 2024-25 released: CAP 3099
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released its inaugural Test and Evaluation (T&E) Annual Report for 2024–2025, marking a significant step in advancing aviation innovation within the UK. The report highlights the T&E Team’s efforts in facilitating safe, efficient, and data-driven test flights, aligning with national initiatives like the Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS), UKRI Future Flight Challenge, and the Department for Transport’s Future Flight Industry programme.
Establishment and Strategic Focus
Established a year ago, the T&E Team aims to support the CAA’s mission by enabling test flights in integrated airspace. Their work centers on three strategic priorities:
Data and Intelligence Gathering: The team has actively conducted test and evaluation activities to acquire data informing emerging policy areas, such as Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Atypical Air Environment (AAE) policies. This data-driven approach allows the CAA to test hypotheses, refine policy concepts, and enhance regulatory decision-making.
Facilitation and Support of T&E Operations: By supporting industry operators in obtaining necessary authorisations and approvals, including through Regulatory Sandboxes, the team has enabled the safe execution of test flights, generating valuable insights for both regulators and industry stakeholders.
Enabling Industry Testing: Recognising the need for industry to conduct independent trials efficiently, the T&E Team has developed best practices that allow operators to perform testing without direct CAA supervision. This includes exploring alternative means of compliance (AltMoC) in key policy areas such as Electronic Conspicuity (EC) and DAA, ensuring safety while reducing regulatory burden.
Key Achievements
Over the past year, the T&E Team has made significant strides in facilitating test and evaluation activities, gathering critical data, and streamlining regulatory processes to enhance efficiency. Their collaborative approach with industry stakeholders has been fundamental in enabling data-driven decision-making within the CAA. Data collected from operations is being used to refine policy concepts and will facilitate progress in key areas such as DAA and UAS Traffic Management (UTM), which are critical to scaled integrated UAS operations in the future.
Looking Ahead
The T&E Team plans to continue refining its approach, strengthening collaboration with industry, and leveraging insights from testing activities to shape future policy and regulatory frameworks. By enhancing the UK’s ability to support aviation innovation while maintaining the highest safety standards, the T&E function is poised to play a crucial role in the evolution of the UK’s airspace and aviation capabilities.
The CAA is inviting stakeholders to provide their insights on the AI use cases being explored across the aerospace sector, to help shape regulatory requirements for the safe deployment of AI and advanced automation in aerospace.
Through this survey, the CAA seeks to understand:
What AI systems is the industry exploring or developing?
What are the systems’ characteristics and capabilities?
What is the systems’ technology readiness level?
What are the key development milestones and respective timelines?
What are the key regulatory challenges?
In addition to the above, the CAA has also published a guide which explains how they continue to protect consumers as aviation adopts AI.
The key challenge at Dovecote Park and Severn Trent Water was the inefficiency and safety risks associated with manual security patrols and inspections, particularly in high-risk areas. Additionally, there was a pressing need to enhance security coverage, reduce operational time, and lower the carbon footprint in site management activities.
By integrating automated drone surveillance, security patrols became three times faster across a 13-acre site. Drones provided real-time monitoring with thermal cameras, reducing reliance on manual inspections, improving safety, and lowering operational costs and carbon footprint.
Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full
The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.
Protected: DASA launch Phase Two: Innovation in Support of Operations Themed Competition
SAM IS ....
Ajuno: End User Appraisal Report
The End User Advancement and Sharing Exchange (EASE) has released a pivotal paper titled “End User Appraisal,” which offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future prospects of drone technology integration across various sectors in the UK. This document synthesizes insights from leading drone end users, highlighting critical challenges, cross-sector opportunities, and the maturity levels of drone adoption.
Critical Challenges in Drone Integration
The paper identifies several significant obstacles impeding the widespread adoption and impact of drone technology:
Regulatory Hurdles: Despite the introduction of the UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) aiming to streamline regulatory processes, many end users find the framework complex and the associated costs for intricate operations prohibitive.
Funding Gaps: The conclusion of the Future Flight Challenge Phase 3 has left numerous projects without sustainable funding, posing a threat to their progression towards commercialization.
Senior Stakeholder Buy-In: Achieving commitment from senior stakeholders remains challenging, often due to the intertwined issues of regulatory complexities and financial constraints.
Cross-Sector Opportunities for Drone Applications
The document highlights promising avenues where drone technology can be effectively utilized across different sectors:
Inspection: Drones offer a safer and more efficient means for inspecting infrastructure, reducing the need for manual assessments in hazardous environments.
Emergency Response: In critical situations, drones can provide rapid situational awareness, aiding in search and rescue operations and disaster management.
Delivery Services: The potential for drones to revolutionize delivery systems, especially in remote areas, is significant, offering faster and more cost-effective solutions.
Maturity Levels of Drone Adoption
EASE conducted a benchmarking exercise to assess the maturity of drone integration among end users, categorizing them into four stages:
Initial: Limited awareness and ad-hoc drone use with some trained personnel and basic policies.
Developing: Structured drone use for specific tasks with early investments, facing challenges in regulation and data integration.
Established: Full integration of drones into operations with dedicated teams and budgets, enabling data-driven decision-making.
Leading: Expanded drone operations across multiple sites with full regulatory compliance and integration of advanced technologies like AI and automation.
The assessment revealed that the majority of organizations are in the early stages of drone adoption, with five users at the ‘Initial’ stage and five at the ‘Developing’ stage, indicating substantial room for growth and development.
Strategic Actions for Enhanced Drone Impact
To address these challenges and capitalize on opportunities, the paper outlines strategic actions:
Regulatory Engagement: Collaborate with regulatory bodies to simplify processes and reduce costs associated with complex drone operations.
Sustainable Funding Models: Develop innovative funding strategies to support projects transitioning from research to commercialization.
Stakeholder Education: Conduct targeted initiatives to inform and engage senior stakeholders about the benefits and potential of drone technology.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: Foster partnerships across industries to share knowledge, resources, and best practices for drone integration.
Conclusion
The EASE “End User Appraisal” paper underscores a critical juncture for the UK drone ecosystem. By addressing regulatory and financial challenges and promoting collaborative efforts, there is a significant opportunity to harness drone technology’s full potential, driving innovation and efficiency across multiple sectors.
Emergency Response – 86 Lives Saved from Drone Enhanced Missions
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is integrating drones into search and rescue missions, enhancing emergency response capabilities. Traditional methods can be slow or limited in certain conditions, particularly in remote or hazardous areas.
By using drones equipped with thermal sensors and BVLOS capabilities, MCA has saved 86 lives with drone enhanced missions and improved operational efficiency, reducing reliance on costly alternatives.
This approach also contributes to over £50 million in annual savings while reducing risks for rescue teams.
Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full
The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.
REGISTER: AGM & Annual Conference 2025 – 29 April 2025
We’re delighted this year’s ARPAS-UK AGM & Annual Conference 2025 will take place at Cranfield University – a leading institution in aerospace and autonomous systems, and a long-standing ARPAS-UK member.
It’s the ideal setting for a day of insight, discussion, and networking. We know travel isn’t always possible, so the event will be hybrid, with the option to attend in person or online via Microsoft Teams.
Following the AGM, the programme will include talks and discussions across key industry themes. We’ll hear from end-users and sector leaders on market adoption, with speakers including Sellafield Ltd and Esri UK, followed by policy and regulation from the DfT and CAA, and sessions on innovation and airspace.
Interactive SLIDO will be run during the day to gather your views and questions.
Unable to attend in person? Submit your Proxy Vote to the Chair via the Registration Form – link below
We look forward to welcoming you – in-person or online – for what promises to be an engaging and valuable event!
