FLY SMART, FLY SAFE
Disclaimer: All jobs posted here are from LinkedIn and other job sites including member and non-member organizations. Drone Related Jobs.
Prismatic are looking to recruit a Battery Technician, a Battery Team Leader, UAS System Operator and an Air Operations Safety & Regulations Lead.
Murphy Geospatial are looking to recruit a UAV Operator.
Strativ are looking to recruit a drone technician.
Vertical Aerospace are looking to recruit a Test Pilot.
Mitie are looking to recruit a fixed-term drone pilot (12 months).
Iona are looking to recruit a GNC Engineer.
The University of Liverpool have a position open: Postdoctural Research Associate in Drone Aerodynamics & Wake Testing
Air6 Systems are recruiting for a Robotics / Embedded Systems Engineer.
The survey results of ARPAS-UK’s Drone Industry & Membership Survey, conducted in September of this year, offer a revealing snapshot of the UK’s commercial drone landscape.
With responses from both members and the wider drone community, the survey highlights perspectives from across the sector, including drone operators, SMEs, blue light services, academia, and more.
There’s still time to make your voice heard.
The survey remains open, and we’ll be updating our findings in February 2025. Share your perspective today and help shape the future of the UK drone industry.
Watch the Resulting Analysis of Our Findings…
25 November 2024
The CAA launched their consultation on their proposals for revisions to the existing UK Civil Aviation Authority CAA 2025/26 Scheme of charges, due to take effect from 1 April 2025.
Our preliminary analysis indicates major/ massive increases on all charges related to UAS.
· Fee Increases for PDRA-01: We have already expressed concern informally to the CAA over the proposed increase from £234 to £500 and its potential impact on operators, particularly given the significant role PDRA-01 plays in enabling safe and efficient operations for 95% of specific category operators.
· All other fees in the Scheme of Charge: we will seek clarification on the rationale for all charges increases and exact scope of application, in order to push back and formally respond to the consultation by Jan 6.
· Transition from PDRA01 to SORA? The recent CAA PDRA survey could suggest an intent to phase out PDRAs entirely, whereas the Charging Consultation mentions exploring additional PDRAs. We have already raised that point informally, and we will seek further clarification on the long-term plans for PDRAs in our Regulations Position Paper #2, due end November, that we will share with our Members and more importantly with the CAA and DfT.
· The Need for Additional PDRAs and SORAs: ARPAS-UK has reinforced the need for more predefined risk assessments (PDRAs) or simplified, generic SORAs to reflect common operational scenarios, such as reduced separation distances, BVLOS with visual observers, increased height limits. If there is no class-marking of drones in the UK in the Open category, why not develop asap new PDRAs that would function like A1 and/or A2 for reduced distances from uninvolved people, including in urban environments?
The transition to the SORA safety methodology will create lots of changes. The objective must be efficiency and proportionality, not complexity to a point that both the drone operators’ teams and the regulator’s teams need much more time to formulate and assess applications, translating into hikes in charging fees.
We recognise the importance of a feedback loop with the CAA during this period of change and are committed to advocating for solutions that balance safety with practicality – and proportionality.
Please don’t hesitate to share any thoughts or concerns with us as we continue to represent the interests of the membership.
The Scheme of Charges consultation is accessible through the link below:
18 November 2024
ARPAS-UK has today published its first Drone in Action Report. The purpose of this guide is to provide examples which demonstrate the range of benefits and financial savings that can be achieved by the safe adoption of Drones.
Graham Brown, Chair of ARPAS-UK says, “When applied, drones are faster, cheaper, safer and greener than other solutions for the same job. We want businesses, as well as the general public, to understand the immense benefit of drones and understand that there will be positive adoption over the coming years.”
In the dynamic landscape of technological advancement, the safe adoption of drone technology stands as a testament to innovation, human ingenuity and its capacity to redefine and improve industrial operations. This report examines a collection of use cases across a spectrum of sectors, each showcasing the transformative impact of drones. From asset and building inspection to the precision agriculture fields to the complex infrastructures of oil and gas platforms, we explore how uncrewed aerial vehicles or drones are not just enhancing operational efficiency but also creating the path towards a safer, more sustainable future.
Author: Mohammed Hasan
Support by: Graham Brown, Anne-Lise Scallierez, Aleksander Kowalski, Chris Daniels, Sarah Lay, David Thurston, Rupert Dent, Elena Major, Annabel Worthington, Ashna Sharma, Dylan Brooks & Prajjwal Roy
Graphics: Sam Barrett, Manna & Canva
View further Drones & Industry Reports
12 November 2024
The British Business Bank announces an £850,000 investment into Drone Evolution from the £130m Investment Fund for Wales (IFW). This is the latest in a series of deal announcements from the Foresight Group (Foresight) who manage the £50m Equity Finance element of the IFW.
This most recent investment has been made into Caerphilly based drone development specialists and service providers Drone Evolution. It is a scaling commercial drone services company which is at the forefront of the evolution of how businesses and organisations use drones to increase levels of public safety.
When Storm Dennis tore through the UK in February 2020 and a month’s worth of rain fell within 48 hours, the team behind Caerphilly-based Drone Evolution was called upon to guide Local Authorities across south Wales’ flooded communities on how best to manage the flood’s impact on the region’s coal tips. They have been consulting with Local Authorities across the area ever since.
Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are used to supply aid and food, water and medicine to areas affected by disasters, but crucially, during the aftermath of Storm Dennis’ devastation, Drone Evolution, which launched in November 2018, was able to inspect infrastructure damage, problem areas and terrain conditions, to assist in the clean-up operation and to provide mapping and data collection.
The nine-strong team, co-founded by business partners Clayton Earney, Toby Townrow and John Young, pilot drones and provide UK-wide consultancy services for both corporate and independent clients.
Toby Townrow, Business Development Director at Drone Evolution, said: “Much of our work is inspection and detection, as well as remedial work. We offer early analysis to prevent potential damage. Our drones are used to complete building, telecoms and typography land surveys, thermography and traffic monitoring. We have worked extensively on coal tip mapping and monitoring year on year for any shift or danger.
“We continue to work closely with local authorities to help reduce overhead costs. Our drones identify blocked drains or missing tiles on schools, to prevent leaks and damage. Flying a drone is a quicker process than having to use scaffolding or cherry pickers, which increases public and employee safety, with working at height still Britain’s biggest workplace killer.
“It was clear from our very first conversations with Foresight that we were compatible for Investment Fund for Wales support in unlocking the business’ true potential.”
Drone Evolution’s product provision continues to grow and the company has patented a tethered quadcopter design drone, which can fly for extended periods, providing many more ways for use in a commercial setting than current free-flying drones. The drone is mobile, easily portable and benefits from being able to lift payloads of up to 5kg, whereas usual capacity with similar UAVs is usually between 2kg – 4kg, if tethered.
As they are powered by a cable, these drones benefit security operations in a temporary space including sports events or music concerts.
Some of Drone Evolution’s key clients including multi national property management company CBRE facilities management company Mitie, Caerphilly Borough Council, as well as delivering in-depth land surveys for EDF Energy’s windfarm projects.
This support from Investment Fund for Wales will enable Drone Evolution to further develop their product offering and the team will also be investing in marketing. It comes almost a year since the Investment Fund for Wales was launched in late November 2023 by the government-backed British Business Bank to boost the supply of early-stage finance to small and medium-sized businesses across Wales.
Mark Sterritt, Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds at the British Business Bank, said: “The Investment Fund for Wales was established to provide the financial backing that innovative and ambitious companies like Drone Evolution so often need and we are particularly pleased to support their expansion plans as they continue to scale.
“The Drone Evolution team is highly experienced, driven and passionate about this specialist, emerging sector, and they have already developed an impressive roster of clients. I’m looking forward to hearing more about what they do next following this significant investment.”
Ruby Godrich, Investment Manager in the Private Equity team at Foresight, said:
“Drone Evolution is an ambitious, growing business with a passionate management team. Over the last few years, the team has grown a successful drone services division whilst also developing a range of products. Foresight’s investment via the Investment Fund for Wales will help the company to further scale and in turn have a positive impact on the local economy through the creation of skilled jobs. We are delighted to be supporting Drone Evolution and look forward to partnering with the team on their exciting growth journey.”
Drone Evolution is an ARPAS-UK Member.
Email: info@dronevolution.co.uk
Click here for more ARPAS-UK Member Success Stories & Blogs.
11 November 2024
Disclaimer: All jobs posted here are from LinkedIn and other job sites including member and non-member organizations. Drone Related Jobs.
Volatus Aerospace is looking to recruit:
NPAS are looking to recruit: XP299 Futures Development Manager.
Bristow is looking to recruit a UAS SAR Operator.
Tekever are looking to recruit a Regulations Manager – Defence.
Skeye are looking to recruit a UAV Pilot.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has commissioned a review of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) to support low-carbon science research for the environment.
The report, co-authored by experts from eight NERC centres, highlights the role of UAS in reducing carbon emissions and advancing environmental science. Key recommendations include investing in UAS technology and addressing barriers to its use. The report also features case studies demonstrating the benefits of UAS in various applications. Two projects have been funded to implement these recommendations, focusing on geophysical data collection and mapping underwater environments.
To overcome key barriers, the report makes the following recommendations:
Linked to this scoping study, NERC has recently funded two projects that will begin delivering on some of the key recommendations of the report.
These projects are as follows:
This project, delivered in collaboration with BAS, will establish the capability to characterise the shallow subsurface through geophysical data collected by UAS will provide valuable insights into geological structures, hydrogeological processes, and the impact of climate change.
By developing two complementary capabilities, the project will enable high-resolution, low-cost data collection. The two complementary capabilities are:
Current geophysical sensing technology relies on larger aircraft or ground vehicles, which aren’t suited for low-carbon, drone-based systems.
NZArC GeoSen aims to change that by developing new technology that works with UAS, helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Testing in Antarctica, where rules for flying drones are more flexible, will help create procedures that could eventually lead to changes in UK regulations.
This project is delivered in collaboration with BGS, NOC, SAMS and UKCEH and aims to revolutionise how underwater environments, particularly shallow waters like river sections and coastal areas, are mapped.
Mapping of shallow waters is vital for studying blue carbon habitats such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes as these are some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth.
These habitats store and sequester carbon at rates far exceeding tropical forests but mapping their underwater terrain (bathymetry) and estimating carbon storage has been a major challenge.
The project will use a novel sensor, designed for both topographic and bathymetric surveys, for mapping underwater environments that are hard to reach, and this will be mounted on a low carbon UAS platform.
This research will have reduced carbon footprint compared to if delivered via a traditional aircraft so will enable faster, more accurate data collection with less environmental impact.
24 October 2024
