Jenny Ward, Deputy Director of the Future of Aviation Team at the Department for Transport, presented the Future of Flight Action Plan update to ARPAS-UK Members at BT’s Headquarters on 18th April 2024.
ARPAS-UK thanks Jenny for her time and willingness to be involved with the Annual Conference.
The presentation was followed by a Q&A section. Those questions not answered during the session will be forwarded to Jenny. Answers will be given to ARPAS-UK members.
YouTube
Presentation:
18 April 2024
Kevin Woolsey and Callum Holland joined the ARPAS-UK Team and Members at their Annual Conference to provide an update on CAA activities. The presentation was followed by Q&A. Any questions not answered in the session have been forwarded to Kevin and Callum for response.
The Presentation:
Graham Brown, Chair, Anne-Lise Scaillierez, CEO and Elena Major, Operations & Membership, provided an update to the Annual Conference on activities and priorities.
Presentation:
18 April 2024
ARPAS-UK were delighted to be able to hold the 2024 AGM and Annual Conference at BT’s headquarters in London on 18 April. We welcomed BT’s Drone Team and their talk on Mobile Networks as a BVLOS Enabler.
Presentation:
18 April 2024
Airspace is a critical piece of infrastructure requiring modernisation to accommodate a new generation of crewed and uncrewed aerial vehicles. As part of a pioneering project, Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), supported by Egis, have proposed an airspace design and operational concept that would allow drones to be integrated in an operational trial alongside crewed aircraft in uncontrolled airspace in the Orkney Islands. If successful, the trial will provide a blueprint that could be rolled out more widely across Scotland and the UK. Egis’ Richard Derrett-Smith and HIAL’s Pat Nolan explain more.
Outside of major conurbations and airports, as much as 70% of the UK’s airspace is uncontrolled, meaning that anybody can fly there, subject to some basic rules. This contrasts with controlled airspace, which is managed by air traffic controllers, with rules and communication protocols to keep airspace users safely separated. The problem is that the existing airspace structures and associated Air Traffic Service regulation for both controlled and uncontrolled aviation cannot currently accommodate the needs of all types of aircraft, including one of the fastest growing user groups: drones.
In Scotland’s Orkney Islands, uncrewed medium and heavy lift drones (100 – 300 kg) are already being used for fast collection and delivery of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and perishable goods, like shellfish – which are transported from outlying islands back to a hub airport at Kirkwall and then flown onward to places like London in a fraction of the time it would take for them to travel by ferry. However, to date, these trials have all taken place using Temporary Danger Areas (TDAs) which restrict other airspace user activity and are not sustainable for commercial operations. The objective of this project is therefore to develop a trial airspace test zone based on a more permanent, less restrictive form of airspace, where future sustainable aviation technology and use cases can be demonstrated.
HIAL’s Pat Nolan has been working with Egis’ Richard Derrett-Smith and Stewart Wallace on developing the Trial Orkney Test Zone or TOTZ. This pioneering project is part of the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) and is part funded by the UK government through the UK Future Flight Challenge programme. HIAL is both an airport operator (with 11 regional airports) and an Air Navigation Service Provider, and so it plays a vital role in supporting essential lifeline services, connectivity and socio-economic development within the rural and island communities. Pat says: “Our aim is to establish the UK’s first low carbon sustainable aviation test centre, including a dedicated airspace test zone, to be located at a commercial airport.” Using Kirkwall Airport as its base, the test zone has been designed to minimise the impact on Kirkwall airport’s operations. Kirkwall is a licensed commercial airport that provides services for approximately 12,000 aircraft movements carrying 130,000 passengers per year, the majority of which by Loganair the airport’s principal operator. Kirkwall airport, which provides an aerodrome and procedural approach service, is located in Class G airspace and has a suite of both conventional and RNP instrument approach procedures.
Using Kirkwall Airport as its base, the test zone has been designed to minimise the impact on Kirkwall airport’s operations. Kirkwall is a licensed commercial airport that provides services for approximately 12,000 aircraft movements carrying 130,000 passengers per year, the majority of which by Loganair the airport’s principal operator. Kirkwall airport, which provides an aerodrome and procedural approach service, is located in Class G airspace and has a suite of both conventional and RNP instrument approach procedures.
Richard says: “From the outset our approach has been to align our solution with the UK CAA’s vision for modernising airspace and with the recently released Future of Flight Action Plan.”
The TOTZ extends northwards over the Orkney archipelago and is subdivided into 5 subzones, such that only those zones required to support a particular trial or operational activity need be activated, thereby leaving the other TOTZ subzones available to other aircraft. This is consistent with the CAA’s Flexible Use of Airspace policy to ensure equitable access to airspace for all airspace users. The TOTZ airspace design ensures separation from Kirkwall’s instrument approach procedures which will minimise disruption to Kirkwall’s scheduled commercial flights.
Richard continues: “We have included an emergency buffer zone around the TOTZ to ensure that the drone’s Detect and Avoid (DAA) system, air traffic control and/or the drone pilot can take appropriate action to neutralise any potential conflict if a non-participating aircraft unexpectedly enters the emergency buffer zone.”
Designed to minimise impact on Kirkwall Airport operations
Of course, airspace is not the only driver in terms of managing risk. The HIAL and Egis team also considered the critical role of air traffic services in providing effective oversight to the TOTZ operations. Communications, navigation and surveillance technology proportional to the scale and complexity of airspace users is also part of the solution, and, coupled with the technology on the drone, will need to integrate effectively with the airspace design and air traffic service delivery to minimise operational risk and support sustainable commercial operations at scale.
Concludes Pat: “The SATE project and HIAL are confident that the TOTZ trial will be accepted by the UK CAA into its Regulatory Sandbox (Temporary Reserved Area) programme, enabling us to deliver the TOTZ airspace trial in the Orkneys based on integrated operations in unsegregated airspace from Kirkwall airport. The outputs from the TOTZ trial will provide HIAL with the data and experience to establish a more permanent trial airspace known as the Orkney Trial Zone (OTZ). The OTZ will provide the blueprint for HIAL to implement a similar hub and spoke airspace model across the HIAL airport estate.”
Adds Richard: “We see the TOTZ trial as vital first steps towards achieving integrated RPAS operations in unsegregated airspace, which is a European, if not global aim these days. It will also generate some key learning points for uncrewed aerial system operators, who need to understand how they can work from a licensed commercial airport.”
Read more about about our work on drone integration in the UK. For more information about the Trial Orkney Test Zone (TOTZ), contact Richard Derrett-Smith, Director Egis.
Richard Derret-Smith
Associate Director, Aviation
Feature image credit: Windracers
Egis is a member of ARPAS-UK.
What a day!
The ARPAS-UK AGM & Annual Conference was held on a glorious spring day. We had a strong turnout and great speakers. BT’s Headquarters provided an excellent venue, and we thank them for allowing us to be there.
Networking is an important part of such events and the ARPAS-UK Team had factored this in to ensure that Members and speakers had sufficient time to (re)connect before the AGM, during lunch, the afternoon break and after the Annual Conference.
In the AGM, two new directors were elected: Sarah Lay and David Thurston. We are delighted to welcome them on board. In addition, Graham Brown and Anne-Lise Scaillierez both stepped down as Directors per rotation and were re-elected. In all cases, the voting was unanimously positive. A record of these resolutions has been made.
The Annual Conference:
The presentations are best viewed as videos and can be found below (click on the Presentation title). We thank the speakers for their time and expertise. We much appreciate their participation in our event.
The ARPAS-UK Kick Off Presentation
The Future of Flight Action Plan Update
Mobile Network as BVLOS Enabler
OSC Success Stories: Quantification of ground risk for Overflight; flying 30 km BVLOS
Members’ Panel: sharing their stories and operational experiences
Photos of the day
Expect the Unexpected!
Welcome to Drone FEEDBACK Edition 10.
I hope you have had some good winter flying for pleasure, gathering data of one sort or another or perhaps doing trials for medical deliveries. Seasonal icing, fog and of course rain have been the main challenges the sector has had to overcome over the last few months. This has led to cold fingers trying to manipulate controllers and their myriad of buttons as well as small screens, batteries not lasting as long as they do at warmer times of the year, and other “gotchas” lying in wait for the unwary drone pilot.
In this issue we have a number of reports that were sent directly to CHIRP and we have kept our eyes open for some additional Human Factor related happenings that we feel would be useful to bring to the attention of the drone flying community. We have included a report from NASA and the UK AAIB, both of which exemplify situations that might happen to any of us and that involve Human Factors.
Whilst the days are now starting to get longer, we have been hampered by fog recently and although some of the latest drones alert you to “low visibility” these days don’t let that warning alone be the deciding factor for the decision to take-off or not. As we have noted in previous editions, propeller icing forms in a number of different scenarios so stay wary of that too when the temperature drops and you are flying in the early hours!
Human Factor related errors will however continue to creep into day-to-day operations and make life difficult. Let’s see if we can learn something from the occurrences described below.
Rupert Dent, Drone/UAS Programme Manager
Contents
From new cargo drones to upcycling freight trains, the latest firms selected for the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator have been unveiled.
Ten small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will each receive a share of £1.3m to conduct technology trials with industry partners. The SMEs will also benefit from trial and business support tailored to their needs as part of the programme. This includes trial design training, monitoring and evaluation, investment readiness, pitch coaching, marketing support, and business modelling.
The Freight Innovation Fund is backed by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Connected Places Catapult. The Fund was launched in January 2023 to help SMEs develop greener and more efficient solutions for freight. The first round of winning projects on the Accelerator was announced in April 2023.
“Our freight sector is growing at pace and has the potential to support jobs and economic growth in every region of the UK.
“Transforming freight also provides opportunities to unlock efficiency savings for businesses and drive down carbon emissions. I’m pleased to welcome this exciting group of innovators to the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator.”
Erika Lewis, Chief Executive at Connected Places Catapult
Speaking at the Microlise Transport Conference last week, Minister for Roads and Local Transport, Guy Opperman MP, announced that a new group of SMEs have been selected. Meet the accelerators’ Second Cohort :
The Freight Innovation Fund programme also features the Freight Innovation Cluster, launched last year, which has already grown to a network of over 320 businesses. The Cluster connects industry, innovators, and investors looking to explore joint opportunities and progress disruptive technologies in freight.
IONA is an ARPAS-UK Member. www.ionadrones.com
8 April 2024
First and foremost, David runs a own small drone services company under a PDRA01, demonstrating his commitment to advancing RPAS technology and integration, as well as understanding the challenges that operators face.
David’s career in commercial aviation, combined with a forward-looking approach to emerging technologies, positions him as an ideal candidate to contribute to ARPAS UK’s goals. He brings strategic vision, operational expertise, and commitment to innovation to the Board, working collaboratively to navigate the future challenges and opportunities of aviation technology.
With over 27 years of experience in commercial aviation, encompassing leadership roles such as Chairman of the Monarch BALPA Company Council and Head of Pilot Management at Monarch Airlines, David has developed a comprehensive understanding of the aviation sector. Currently, as the Chair of BALPA’s Emerging Technology Study Group focusing on RPAS & AAM, and as a part-time Captain for easyJet, his career reflects a commitment to advancing aviation through innovation, strategic leadership, and a focus on emerging technologies.
David firmly believes in actively shaping the future of our industry, using his experience, insights, and passion to advocate for innovative solutions that advance the safe and effective integration of RPAS, influencing policy, perception, and practice within the aviation sector.
The ARPAS-UK Directors are pleased to back David at the forthcoming AGM to become a Director.
5 April 2024
The prospect of remotely piloted drones operating in and out of some of the UK’s busiest airports has taken a step closer to reality following a series of pioneering simulations by the air traffic management service, NATS.
The simulations, run at NATS’ head office in Hampshire, demonstrated how drones could be seamlessly integrated alongside other air traffic at a busy airport. This included drone operators filing flight plans, flying in and out of the airport and being safely deconflicted with other aircraft.
The leading work forms part of Project CAELUS, a UKRI industry collaboration of 16 partners including AGS Airports, University of Strathclyde, NATS and NHS Scotland, aiming to use drones to transport essential medical supplies throughout Scotland.
The project’s first test flight occurred at Glasgow Airport last year, with a drone flying to the nearby NHS Golden Jubilee hospital. The concept development and simulation work NATS has led on is essential to understanding how that one-off flight could be safely scaled up to include dozens of drones flying ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ and delivering medicines and blood tests to patients across Scotland and potentially beyond.
The airspace integration was overseen by a new Airspace Manager function using new technology developed by NATS. As part of this proposed ‘concept of operations,’ direct voice communication between a drone operator and air traffic control would only be required by exception – including the kind of emergency scenario demonstrated during the simulations.
Richard Ellis, NATS New Airspace Users Director, said: “Everything we’re doing is striving towards enabling the seamless, safe integration of drones and other new airspace users into our skies. There is a lot of work still to do, including the development and approval of new technology and regulations, but I believe what we and our Project CAELUS partners are doing will help support that process and is taking us a step closer to an exciting future.”
Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Strategy and Project CAELUS Director, said: “We have continued to see some valuable collaboration and innovation across Project CAELUS and this latest work led by NATS truly demonstrates our ambition to forge a new path.”
“Our first live flight trial last year was incredibly important and demonstrated a means of integrating drones into an airport environment.”
“This year, we look forward to showcasing many more demonstrations including a ramped up flying programme across Scotland and we are delighted to kick start that programme with this exciting NATS showcase”.
Hazel Dempsey, Caelus National Programme Manager from NHS Grampian added: “Exploring how drone technology could be usefully used as a way of delivering care to people who live in urban, remote, rural and island locations, is edging ever-closer to a reality.”
Project Caelus is a Future Flight Challenge programme jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation. Further test flights are planned for later this year.