BVLOS

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Funding: The Future Flight Skills Challenge. ARPAS-UK welcomes collaboration

Future Flight: Closing the Skills Gap

Competition Opens

Monday 21 November 2022

Competition Closes

Wednesday 1 February 2023 11:00am

Funding Type

Grant

Project Size

Your project’s total grant funding request must be no more than £50,000.

The Future Flight Challenge  for Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £500,000 in projects to close aviation industry skills gaps.

The aim of this competition is to create and deliver course content and materials that will support skills, talent and training across the future flight sector. The purpose of this is to build awareness of future flight emerging markets and fill key gaps in the UK’s workforce talent and training capabilities.

Projects can deliver one or more of these objectives:

  • schools’ engagement
  • apprenticeships and internships
  • upskilling and reskilling of existing workforce
  • technical courses and vocational training
  • undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development (CPD)

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.

ARPAS-UK welcomes collaboration on projects for this Challenge

Please contact: [email protected]

Click here to access the Competition Briefing

Click here for more information

ARPAS-UK
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Skyfarer and Medical Logistics Announce Drone Corridor BVLOS Trials

Skyfarer Ltd and partner Medical Logistics UK have announced their collaborative Medical Drone Delivery Beyond Visual Line of Sight trial commencing this week, in a secured CAA approved airspace called “The Medical Logistics UK Corridor”.

Due to growing pressures on the healthcare system, there is an ever-expanding need for hospitals to receive vital time-sensitive medical supplies.

As a result of the significant congestion on our roads and heavy infrastructure, Skyfarer believe that these needs are not currently being met in an efficient manner.

Project Manager for Skyfarer, Georgia Hanrahan said “There are no potholes in the sky, nor is there as much congestion, and without the need for heavy infrastructure to land, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can add to the fleet of logistical transfers and provide a faster, more sustainably friendly and cheaper solution.”

Connecting 32km of airspace between the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire Trust’s hospitals in Coventry and Rugby, The Medical Logistics UK corridor will be in place for a three-month period from October until December 2022, to conduct a record-breaking number of routine and ad hoc medical drone deliveries.

Flights will be conducted in all weather conditions throughout the remainder of the year as well as at varying times of day so that the Flight Operations team can work with the Trust to determine how this technology can be permanently integrated going forward. The consortia want to ensure that it is accessible to each department whenever it is required.

A series of routine and ad-hoc emergency flights will also be conducted to determine the reliability of the Skyfarer service and futureproof the NHS integration.

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CPD: Aerial data capture including deployment of LiDAR

by ARPAS-UK, in conjunction with Connected Places Catapult

Learn about the practicalities of drone operations and how sensor-based drones can provide benefits to your project

Surveyors, engineers and built environment professionals are faced with a growing portfolio of advanced technology, including drone-enabled sensors. In this online CPD learning session, Michael May, Operation Director at Flythru, will provide an overview of current legislation and what is required in order to bring drones to a project. Michael will also discuss how working practices can be adapted to make it easier to use drones on site, what the challenges and opportunities are for drone-use.

Key Learnings

  • Learn what a drone can and cannot do 
  • Understand how data requirements match platform and operator

About the Speaker

An experienced entrepreneur and qualified pilot, Michael May is a director of Flythru, a company offering 3D mapping, thermal imagery and lidar; providing aerial data in a cost effective and safe fashion.

Professional development series brought to industry by ARPAS-UK, the drone industry trade association and Connected Places Catapult, who provide impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers.

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Skyborne graduates start new drone pilot career with Flyby Technology

By Press 3 December 2021

Gloucestershire, UK – 2 December, 2021: Skyborne Airline Academy is celebrating the achievements of two graduates who have successfully secured commercial drone pilot jobs with Flyby Technology and are currently supporting operations for an NHS trial.

In July 2020, Skyborne announced a unique partnership with Flyby Technology, the leader in UK drone training and operations, to offer its trainees the opportunity to build a career flying unmanned aircraft. James Kirk and Adam Prince joined Flyby Technology after completing their UK CAA Integrated ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot License) programme with Skyborne. They are both currently employed as a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone pilot.

Carl Haslem, Centre Director, Skyborne, says: “We’re very proud of James and Adam for not only completing their Integrated ATPL course with us, but for using their studies to embark on an exciting new career.

“At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Skyborne began implementing a number of initiatives to help its trainees improve their prospects of securing a job. Our partnership with Flyby Technology allows graduates to use their ATPL experience while enhancing their pilot skills and expanding their knowledge to operate commercial drones.”

Both graduates are currently working on a project with Apian for the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, researching the role of drone technology to increase speed of delivery and access to chemotherapy drugs between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

James Kirk, Skyborne ATPL graduate and BVLOS drone pilot at Flyby Technology, says: “Although being a drone pilot and airline pilot seem vastly different, the training I received at Skyborne has been extremely beneficial to me. In our MCC course, we learned to operate in a multi-crew cockpit which at Flyby has helped me to prepare for the pilot monitoring role and develop effective communication within the team.

“The work we’re doing with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust is really interesting and rewarding. I’m glad to be a part of this team making impressive steps in automation for the medical industry.”

Adam Prince, Skyborne ATPL graduate and BVLOS drone pilot at Flyby Technology, adds: I’m really enjoying my time at Flyby Technology. A big part of my day is learning skills from incredibly experienced ex-Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots, which goes hand in hand with my ATPL training.

“This opportunity created by Skyborne opens up another avenue for airline pilots who are out of work or even looking for a career change. It’s a really interesting industry to become a part of and I encourage more pilots to look into this line of work.”

Jon Parker, Founder of Flyby Technology, says: “Offering full time employment to Skyborne graduates is one of the easiest decisions we’ve had to make at Flyby Technology. James and Adam excelled throughout their training, rapidly adapting their commercial pilot knowledge to drone operations. Enthusiastic and hardworking, their contributions are helping shape the future of the unmanned aircraft industry.

“Our partnership with Skyborne has been a huge success so far and we look forward to seeing these two individuals thrive in their new career.”

For more information on Skyborne’s partnership with Flyby Technology please contact  [email protected]. 

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Dronecloud and Frequentis collaborate to integrate drone platform with ATC systems

Dronecloud, the drone Flight Management Software provider, has selected Frequentis to join a
consortium that will collaborate on the development of open standard integrations to help
unlock Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drone flights in the UK. Frequentis will support
Dronecloud and the consortium with its vast and extensive experience in deploying its
unmanned traffic management (UTM) solution – MosaiX UTM. This solution provides the air
traffic control (ATC) front-end application and the Common Information Service (CIS) cloud
platform during project execution.


The intuitive tower application, smartSIS, developed by Frequentis with the strong involvement of user
interface experts in close cooperation with air traffic controllers (ATCOs), allows airspace rules and
restrictions to be set fairly for all airspace users. The solution provides an integrated air situation picture
and supports real-time decision-making. In addition, the MosaiX UTM includes a foundation for U-space
(unmanned airspace) services and the CIS function, serving as the “single source of truth” for relevant
safety information to reach connected stakeholders.


As part of Project Rise field trials, Cranfield Airport will be trialling Dronecloud and Frequentis’
integration in parallel with ATC. Robert Abbott, Director of Aviation Operations at Cranfield University,
said: “Cranfield Airport is excited to be supporting Cranfield University and other consortium members
on Rise and further expropriation of utilisation with other drone and UTM systems. Cranfield Airport is
looking forward to trialling Dronecloud and Frequentis as part of this important research project.”
Dr Saba Al-Rubaye (Principal Investigator), Senior Lecturer in Autonomous and Connected Systems at
Cranfield University added: ”We’re delighted to be part of the Project Rise team, and welcome
Frequentis to the project. Together we are working to address the challenge of establishing reliable
data and communication systems for unmanned aerial operations and their safe operation with manned
aircraft in the same airspace.”

“The key to unlocking the full potential of drones is allowing them to fly beyond visual line of sight,” says
Guenter Graf, Frequentis Vice President Business Development. “To operate under these conditions
both manned aviation and drones must have access to a shared air situation picture. Together with
Dronecloud and other consortium members we intend to demonstrate an Unmanned Traffic Page 2 | 3
Management ecosystem, incorporating end-to-end communication and an approval process between
drone operators and air traffic control authorities.”


Dronecloud is leading the Project Rise consortium, formed as part of the Future Flight Challenge
funded by UK Research and Innovation, through the multi-billion-pound Industrial Strategy Challenge
Fund. The consortium is composed of key industry partners, including Frequentis, Sky-Drones,
Cranfield University and Skyports. The project is part of an overall effort across the drone industry to
integrate disparate systems at scale, to achieve safer, more reliable and auditable drone flights, even
beyond the line of sight.

Frequentis already has extensive experience with the integration of air traffic management (ATM) and
UTM, and is currently implementing the first UTM system in the Nordic region, for Norway’s Avinor Air
Navigation Services. This is the first UTM system to receive Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval for
implementation. The company is also the largest industry partner in the Austrian AIRLabs project,
aiming to build and operate test sites for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), covering all development
stages from simulation to actual state-of-the-art BVLOS drone missions.


“Welcoming Frequentis to Project Rise was a natural fit. Frequentis brings a proven track record in
delivering safety critical systems for Air Traffic Control and other airspace managers. Combined with
Dronecloud and the other consortium partners, we are developing a standardised, automated digital
flight approval solution ready to unlock BVLOS flights, safely at scale. This in turn will form one of the
backbone elements of the eventual ‘System of Systems’ the industry will need to offer increasing levels
of automation and autonomy. If we get these critical building blocks right, the hype around drone-based
last-mile delivery in built up areas, and Urban Air Mobility will become reality,” Dronecloud Co-founder
and CEO, Jan Domaradzki.

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Flyby Technology to train Turkish drone industry

Flyby Technology, one of the UK’s leading drone training and consultancy companies, has been awarded a first phase contract to supply expertise and training to the Turkish drone industry, worth a potential £11.2 million.  Flyby Technology will be providing training for ab initio pilots as well as training for pilots operating drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) at the professional level. The deal is one of the first British-Turkish deals since the two countries signed a new trade deal earlier in 2021.

Jon Parker FRAeS, Flyby Technology’s founder, described the deal as “An amazing opportunity to work with a country that is going places in the drone arena.  We are looking forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise, but also learning about the advances that Turkey has made in the last few years.”

Flyby Technology and its Turkish partner company, Fly BVLOS Technology, will be joining forces with the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority (SHGM) to help develop their new standards for drone operations, in advance of a predicted surge in civilian drone use in the region. The partnership is going to assist in developing drone infrastructure projects and contribute to international education initiatives. This will bring the quality of pilots flying drones weighing more than 25kg, up to manned aviation standards for the first time.

This new British-Turkish partnership has formed a collaboration with Gebze Technical University, one of Turkey’s top universities, to deliver high quality training to new pilots and university students to the standards of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).  At the advanced level, students will attend a two month-long BVLOS course flying heavy lift drones, where the aircraft have the capability to fly in the UK whilst the pilot is in Turkey.  By collaborating at this level, British students can enjoy reciprocal arrangements, offering a better weather factor during the winter. 

Fly BVLOS Technology founder, Kamil Demirkapu, commented, “We are so excited to be able to offer these courses created and developed by such a prestigious British aviation company.  Flyby’s BVLOS course is a world first, because it is structured in the same way as the training given to an airline pilot or fighter pilot.  Professional competency is the best way to accelerate our new and rapidly expanding drone industry in Turkey.  Technology is developing at an incredible rate, but unless the pilots are trained to maximise its benefits, we lose any opportunity it brings.  Flyby’s considerable training credentials have already enabled them to contribute to the safe operation of NHS drones flying over urban areas in the UK, and we look forward to seeing our collaboration bear the same fruit in Turkey.”

The Rector of Gebze Technical University, Prof Doctor Hasan Aslan, added, “The university is moving into a new era with this joint enterprise.  Industry specialisations are becoming increasingly more advanced, and our students will have a competitive advantage by holding a professional drone qualification when they graduate. They will receive the best training available, and this will also help them to understand that professional standards are essential to being successful in the jobs market.  With this programme our students will have a lot of fun whilst working hard to gain the knowledge required.  I got the opportunity to experience Flyby’s training first-hand in the UK. In creating their courseware, they bring together the best of military and civilian training expertise. They have their own embedded CAA examiners, experts in human factors and compliance authoring, and most of their instructors are from the British military who have flown high performance fighter jets and helicopters. More importantly, they were trained as instructors at the Central Flying School of the British Royal Air Force, the most elite flight training school in the world.  They make everything seem light-hearted and fun, but they bring the student up to the highest standards at the same time using the latest training science techniques.  It was a fascinating and very rewarding experience.”

The deal will see Flyby Technology undertaking the initial courses in Turkey, but then share their expertise in instructor training to allow Turkish instructors to continue delivering at the highest level.  Turkey is not a full signatory of EASA but recognises that alignment with a neighbour in the region will enable even more opportunities for the transfer of ideas and collaboration in the future.  Flyby Technology and its Turkish partner have been offered the use of three airfields across Turkey, and research and development facilities near Istanbul.  The Ministry of Industry  has approved the partnership to build large, work-class civilian aircraft and the SHGM will approve Flyby Technology’s BVLOS course as a necessary step to flying them on long-range BVLOS flights over urban areas, once the aircraft are built.  Jon Parker added, “The opportunities are endless with a deal like this, It would not be possible without the trust and vision of the Turkish aviation regulator. This approach, in combination with our deep knowledge and experience, will accelerate Turkey’s growth in this sector. It’s a partnership that embodies Flyby’s original vision for the future of the drone industry.”

Flyby Technology are a member of ARPAS-UK

14 May 2021

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Snowdonia Aerospace Centre to Deploy Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM Enterprise Platform

London, UK:  Altitude Angel, the world’s leading UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, today announced the s (SAC) has become the second UK airport to deploy its GuardianUTM Enterprise platform.

ARPAS-UK Member, the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, in Gwynedd, Wales, is one of Europe’s foremost commercial test centres for next-generation aerospace and future flight systems such as drones, electric aircraft, urban and regional air mobility vehicles, balloons, airships and near-space testing vehicles.

Launched in March this year, GuardianUTM Enterprise is an intuitive, cost-effective platform which has been developed to support regional and local airports and airfields to manage on and off-site drone operations.

GuardianUTM Enterprise will provide SAC with a combined view of the airspace in the vicinity of its FRZ (flight restriction zone), enabling the airport to start designing and providing UTM services for drone companies and drone operators, using Altitude Angel’s proven digital authorisation and flight management technology.

Karim Cosslett, Altitude Angel, Regional Sales & Partner Manager, said: “The Snowdonia Aerospace Centre plays a critical role in providing a safe testing and development environment for the next-generation of aerospace and future flight systems.  The deployment of GuardianUTM Enterprise allows Snowdonia Aerospace to comprehensively manage all aircraft in its airspace, whether manned or unmanned, and provide a safe, coordinated and efficient place to operate and test.”

Jeremy Howitt, Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, Future Flight Programme Lead, added: “We are pleased to add GuardianUTM Enterprise to the extensive Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) test capabilities at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre.

“Combined with the airspace change to create a permanent Danger Area, we have an unrivalled operational test environment for customers looking to accelerate the development of their drones, urban air mobility vehicles and other novel aerospace systems. The UTM capability will also form a key element of the layered detect-and-avoid solution that we’re developing under the UK Research & Innovation Future Flight Challenge, allowing us to provide a BVLOS drone service in support of Emergency Services across Wales.”

About Altitude Angel: 

Altitude Angel is an award-winning provider of UTM (Unified Traffic Management) software, enabling those planning to operate, or develop UTM/U-Space solutions, to quickly integrate robust data and services with minimum effort.

From a consistent, well-documented and standards-based platform, drone manufacturers such as DJI and cutting-edge software developers around the world use our Developer Platform to obtain rich, relevant and local geofencing data, exchange and share flight plans, de-conflict their own flights in real-time and interface with national flight authorisation systems. A growing portfolio of enhanced capabilities help our customers to comply with current and future regulations and interface with changing national systems with only minimal effort.

Altitude Angel’s first party solutions also power some of the world’s leading ANSPs, aviation authorities and Enterprises, including LVNL (Netherlands) and Avinor (Norway), empowering them with new capabilities to safely manage and integrate drone traffic into national operations.

Today, Altitude Angel’s market-defining technology is providing a critical, enabling service on which the future of UTM, especially in controlled airspace, will be built across the globe.

By unlocking the potential of drones and helping national aviation authorities, ANSPs, developers and enterprise organisations, Altitude Angel is establishing new services to support the growth in the drone industry.

Altitude Angel was founded by Richard Parker in 2014 and is headquartered in Reading, UK.  

Altitude Angel’s developer platform is open and available to all at https://developers.altitudeangel.com

About GuardianUTM: 

GuardianUTM enables drone manufacturers and software developers to connect into a rich, dynamic source of accurate, authoritative and relevant information to support geofencing, while offering enhanced UTM capabilities such as a single interface to multi-country flight authorisation. 

Its companion product, GuardianUTM O/S, supports all the functionality required to deliver national-grade drone traffic management capabilities to any country that wishes to safely unlock the potential of drones. 

11 May 2021

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Pop-Up UTM successfully demonstrated by Altitude Angel, Inmarsat and A-Techsyn

Test flights using drones flying Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) confirm ground-breaking capabilities of unmanned traffic management platform

London, UK; Altitude Angel, the world’s leading Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider, Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, and A-techSYN, a foremost manufacturer of next generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), today announced the successful conclusion of drone test flights using their jointly developed Pop-Up UTM platform.

The Pop-Up UTM platform delivers advanced Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight tracking for UAVs. It enables drones to be safely integrated into controlled airspace and ensures they are visible to – and can be kept distant from – other air traffic.

During October and November 2020, an A-TechSYN CGT50 VTOL UAV – using the compact Cobham AVIATOR 200 satcom solution integrated with UAV Navigation’s POLAR Attitude & Heading Reference System (AHRS) – flew numerous BVLOS flights, connected and tracked using Inmarsat’s global L-band satellite network. The fully autonomous flights were initiated and monitored by a pilot 60km from the take-off and landing area near Ankara, Turkey, and were tracked, monitored and managed using the Pop-Up UTM platform by a team at Altitude Angel’s HQ in Reading, United Kingdom.

The test flights produced excellent results, with the UTM platform offering full situational awareness to the operator team. During the tests, the system detected a possible conflict with a commercial aircraft. As designed, the Pop-Up UTM correctly triggered a warning to de-conflict the two aircraft, allowing appropriate avoidance action to be taken.

Phil Binks, Altitude Angel’s Head of Air Traffic Management, said: “Our partnership with Inmarsat in the development of Pop-Up UTM has, in a little under six months, engineered a platform which has the power to save lives and revolutionise the way operators deploy UAV services. As an example, emergency services and first responders would be able to use drones alongside manned aircraft in the most challenging of scenarios. The trial flights not only established how Pop-Up UTM could be quickly deployed, but the unexpected arrival of a GA aircraft and its triggering of the de-confliction software demonstrated how the platform will perform in a real-world environment.”

All flights were conducted under full satcom command and control, with FPV (Forward Position Video) feed, utilising Inmarsat’s SB-S platform. Successful handovers occurred between satcom and radio frequency control, demonstrating that Inmarsat can deliver advanced BVLOS operations for UAVs.

Anthony Spouncer, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Director of UAVs & UTM, added: “With our global satellite network, and more than 30 years of experience in communications, navigation and surveillance services, Inmarsat is uniquely placed to be the catalyst for growth of the commercial UAV market and bring powerful benefits to business and society as a result. With flight tests now complete, we are excited to offer new UTM services in 2021 and beyond that will help businesses unlock the limitless possibilities of commercial drone operations.”

The drone test flights provided a real-world demonstration of how Pop-Up UTM can be used to allow manned and unmanned aircraft to operate in close proximity, safely and securely. With BVLOS operations now a reality, a single pilot can operate a UAV remotely and beyond the horizon, boosting the commercial viability of unmanned aerial operations.

Gokhan Celik, A-techSYN’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “With this demonstration, we have successfully overcome a significant challenge facing the aviation industry – safely integrating UAVs into civil airspace. UAVs weighing more than 50kg, such as A-TechSYN’s CGT50 VTOL, are fast becoming the gold standard in unmanned operations, including search and rescue, pipeline/powerline inspections, and long distance medical delivery. Drones can now evolve from passive broadcasting to active communication with the UTM in real time, mirroring manned aviation processes. We are very happy with the results of the Pop-Up UTM and have decided to make Inmarsat satcom connectivity and UTM integration standard on all our CGT50 VTOL units.”

16th December 2020

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The UK Drones Pathfinder Programme announces new Pathfinder led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

A ground-breaking new project announced today (12th May) will allow the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to regularly and routinely use drones, to carry out its time critical, reactive search and rescue, and international counter pollution obligations.

 

The MCA Drone Demonstration and Development Pathfinder aims to explore and develop the safe use of drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) through demonstration of drones such as the Hermes 900 in all classes of airspace.

 

The MCA will deliver this project by working in partnership with Elbit Systems UK, Inzpire and Aviation Systems Group (ASG) and through close co-operation with the CAA.

Flight trials of the Hermes 900 are designed to demonstrate the safe use of drones in unsegregated airspace and will be conducted from West Wales Airport in late Summer 2020. The MCA Drone Demonstration and Development Pathfinder seeks to demonstrate the use of Hermes 900 and Skylark I-LEX drones in the agency’s life-saving work and will explore ways to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of staff.

 

The project is in alignment with the UK Drones Pathfinder Programme, which is sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT) and takes a phased approach to achieving routine use of drones within the UK, identifying and overcoming the technical, operational, and commercial barriers for bringing new BVLOS services to the UK. The DfT has now confirmed that funding for the Pathfinder Programme will be extended to cover the 2020-21 period.

 

Transport Minister Rachael Maclean MP said:

“This ground-breaking project could mean that our fantastic search and rescue teams, who save lives 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can cover a wider search area, pick up more incidents and tend to these quickly and safely.

 

“Going beyond search and rescue, the project will also help teams to quickly spot and tackle pollution, protecting our valuable marine environment. This is an exciting project that is supported by our Drones Pathfinder Programme which we are pleased to be funding into 2020/21.”

 

The MCA is investing £1m in the project and will combine its experience in managing aviation operations with its world-leading expertise in search and rescue and counter pollution to direct the project.

 

Elbit Systems UK is recognised for its technical and commercial innovation together with its collaborative behaviour with regulators and customers worldwide to achieve clearances for the use of unmanned aviation vehicles of varying size, weight and capability for search and rescue. Together with Inzpire and ASG, they have formed a team with the requisite skills, experience and personnel to successfully achieve the MCA’s principal objective.

 

The Drones Pathfinder Programme is managed by the Connected Places Catapult in partnership with the Department of Transport (DfT) and supported by  the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

 

For more information on the programme and Pathfinder projects please visit:  https://cp.catapult.org.uk/case-studies/pathfinder/

 

About MCA

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is an executive agency of the United Kingdom working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and international maritime law and safety policy

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/maritime-and-coastguard-agency

 

About Elbit Systems UK Ltd

 Elbit Systems UK Ltd (ESUK) holds four wholly owned subsidiaries as well as two joint ventures. In total, over 500 personnel are employed by the Elbit Systems UK companies, in high tech roles in the defence, aerospace and rail sectors. The two joint ventures were formed in order to deliver the Watchkeeper programme for the British Army and to supply and support three fleets of aircraft within the UK MoD Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) programme.

 

About the Connected Places Catapult

The Connected Places Catapult accelerates smarter living and travelling in and between the places of tomorrow. We focus on growing businesses with innovations in mobility services and the built environment that enable new levels of physical, digital and social connectedness. The Connected Places Catapult operates at the intersection between public and private sectors and between local government and transport authorities. We convene the disparate parts of the market to help innovators navigate the complexity of doing business, creating new commercial opportunities and improving productivity, socio-economic and environmental benefits for places.

 

 

 

About Aviation Systems Group (ASG)

Building upon over 100 years of both military and civil aviation experience, ASG brings a refreshing approach helping both businesses and hobbyists turn their commercial opportunity or interests into reality. Visit https://asg.ltd/ for more information

 

About Inzpire

wInzpire recognises that a truly great company – one capable of delivering to the highest expectations of the UK and global military and civilian sectors – is only possible with great people.

We deploy a unique combination of highly experienced military and engineering personnel to develop solutions that excel in every respect.

Our engineering team has many years’ experience in frontline operations and in the development of solutions for the UK Defence industrial sector.   We combine this experience of the environment, deployment, training and engineering knowledge to deliver world beating solutions.

This powerful mix of military and engineering experience offers our customers an unrivalled capability within the defence and security sector.

We are a proudly British company, this pride defines our DNA and, as embedded partners across many areas of the UK MOD, we are perfectly positioned to bridge military and civilian requirements – serving both with the same exceptional level of professionalism, adaptability and deep-rooted expertise. For more information visit: https://www.inzpire.com/

SAM IS ....
New entrant to the CAA Innovation Sandbox: Flylogix

Flylogix have been selected to join the CAA’s Innovation Sandbox. They will be working alongside Total, NATS and the Oil & Gas Technology Centre.

They aim to drive forward the safe operation involving BVLOS within the Offshore Oil and Gas Sector.

It will allow them to mobilise their UAVs at short notice to launch from their UK operating hubs to reach any UK offshore asset within hours, providing a range of services to the offshore energy sector including environmental monitoring, surveillance and delivery. Their track record and recent experience place them in an ideal position to do so.

Last autumn they took part in BVLOS operations in the North Sea involving finding and tracking a vessel, potentially very useful in Search and Rescue Scenarios, as well as a record breaking 185km methane detecting flight.

 

185km UAV Flight

The drone circled the Clair platform at a radius of 550 metres for 90 minutes, travelling for a total of more than 185 km, significantly beating the previous record of 100 km. The pre-programmed drone, once airborne, managed itself autonomously. Throughout the flight, the RPAS live-streamed valuable data collected by the methane sensor.

Ariel Flores, North Sea regional president, said: “Improving our knowledge, understanding and performance by testing new technologies and working closely with suppliers is central to the North Sea’s carbon reduction plan, which aims to limit greenhouse emissions in our North Sea business.

This pilot project represents a significant step forward in our ability to do that.”

Following the successful results, the specialist drone will be deployed to all of BP’s North Sea assets in 2020, including ETAP and Glen Lyon.

Read more

 

Cross Channel BVLOS

British technology and aviation business, Flylogix, completed a series of UAV operations in the Solent and Channel to provide live video of National Grid’s Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2 (IFA2) cable installation to help coordinate maritime response to threats to the cable. Flylogix safely conducted the beyond line of sight operations in a broad range of weather conditions in one of the most congested marine and aviation areas in the UK.

Read more

 

On the CAA’s Innovation Sandbox

Charles Tavner, executive chairman at Flylogix, said: “We are delighted to be working with the CAA to reduce the cost, risk and environmental impact of providing unmanned aviation services to the offshore energy sector. We are determined to use our hard-fought operational experience to trailblaze growth in this new category of full-service over horizon aviation services.”

While Frédéric Laugère, Innovation Services Lead at the Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Using unmanned aircraft to assist the offshore energy industry is a perfect use for the technology and one that we are keen to see develop. We are delighted to welcome Flylogix to our innovation sandbox to enable us to work together on this area which has the potential to deliver key benefits to a vital part of the UK’s energy infrastructure.”

 

11th May 2020