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UK’S FIRST HUB-CENTRIC NETWORK OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Skyfarer have built the UK’s first functional and operational hub, set in the center of their own hub-centric network being utilized for the Medical Logistics UK Corridor.

WHAT IS A HUB-CENTRIC NETWORK?

Businesses and organisations subscribe to utilise the full capability of the Skyfarer hub and network. As a result, they can turn their use case into a regulated, authorised, and economically advantageous drone operation.

Having a shared service hub means that access to this technology and capability is far more cost-effective whilst not diminishing utilisation. Each hub is being developed to serve a 40km radius connecting each spoke. Whether that be to deliver a product or provide a surveillance solution, the Skyfarer hub contains a drone fleet that is specifically designed and optimised for each operation you are desiring to achieve.

THE SKYFARER HUB

The heart of the Skyfarer Network of services is the hub, the “home of the drones”. This is a space where the drones are maintained, and operations are run for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) sorties.

The purpose of a hub-centric network is to centralize operations. This enables the Skyfarer team to run time-efficient and coherent flights that can be shared amongst end users. Meaning that services can be provided to customers cheaper, quicker and via means that are far more sustainable.

The Skyfarer hub contains a soundproof Operations room, a picking and packing station, an order management station, and a maintenance workshop. It also serves as the headquarters for the Skyfarer team.

The Skyfarer hub-centric network is being used for the first time as part of the ‘Medical Logistics UK Trial’ running from October to January. This trial links 2 hospitals managed by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, to the Skyfarer hub and also enables a logistical connection between Coventry and Rugby local communities.

Skyfarer have chosen the West Midlands to set up its first hub due to its centralized location in the UK. This pertains to its history of innovation and technology development.

By 2030, Skyfarer sees a further 20 hubs spread out across the UK, to connect end users by the sky.

Email contact@skyfarer.co.uk to find out more about Skyfarer.

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JBUAS & Offshore Wind: SENSYS R4 HVDC Cable UXO Clearance Project

JBUAS & Offshore Wind

SENSYS R4 HVDC Cable UXO Clearance Project

JBUAS supported a leading UXO company with equipment and training, to enable them to execute a 6km UXO clearance project over varied terrain, including undulating ground, fences and gates, hedges, and many different crop fields.

The Right Choice
The key contractor for the cable laying project was keen to see zero harm to the crops so damage could be avoided, along with any potential compensation payments. The airborne R4 magnetometer system was therefore selected as the system of choice. Cart or walked-based approaches were deemed too risky, and when the final economics were worked out, the use of the airborne system was a foregone conclusion.

Equipment Used
The airborne system comprised of:

– M300RTK drone (UAV)
– UgCS Pro (Survey Automation software)
– UgCS SkyHub 3 Onboard Computer
– UgCS True Terrain Following system (TTF v2)
– SENSYS MagDrone R4 Airborne Magnetometer

TTF, RTK, and R4
With a sample rate of 200Hz, the fluxgate sensors onboard the R4 enable fast speeds to be flown. The R4 also benefits from a sensor spaced every 50cm meaning its pass width is an impressive 2.5m. With RTK-corrected GPS data sent directly to the R4 from SkyHub, very precise flight lines (~1cm) are possible. Add to this the TTF system, which delivers the capability to perform low flying (below 1m if appropriate); the R4 can identify smaller targets in the near-surface.

To learn more about the project

Click Here

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Drone Specialist COPTRZ working with BT on their drone strategy

Drone Specialist COPTRZ working with BT on their drone strategy

BT is pushing ahead with its adoption of drone technology and the training of its people. This is where COPTRZ came in.

As a leading CAA registered RAE’s (Recognised Assessment Entities), BT chose COPTRZ for their
capability to provide not only drone pilot training but also additional bespoke wraparound training solutions.

In addition, COPTRZ have supplied state-of-the-art and drone technology from a number of different
manufacturers with a range of models for different tasks encountered.

COPTRZ initially curated a bespoke training week for a number of trainee pilots at BT’s site in Hereford.
After an intensive week, 10 students successfully graduated as pilots with a number of recommendations
that soon followed.

Richard Coles, BT Drone Solutions Field Systems Manager, said “Coptrz provided us with great expertise in our GVC training and procurement of Drones. They have a great team and give huge amounts of support where needed, we look forward to continuing working with them in the future”

Co-founder of COPTRZ, Steve Coulson commented – “We are excited and proud to work with BT as an
organisation looking to benefit from the huge advantages drone technology brings. We look forward to continuing to support BT with ongoing training and technology”

COPTRZ are a UK-based drone solutions provider for organisations wishing to adopt drone technology and the benefits it brings in terms of productivity, safety and cost savings. This ranges across, airframes, payloads, software, peripherals and training.

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CAP2404: Outcome of the consultation on a draft Airspace Modernisation Strategy 2022–2040

Follow this link to access the outcome of the AMS 2022-2040 Consultation undertaken by the CAA

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Call for Health & Safety Speakers

Call for Health & Safety Speakers

Do you have a story to tell?

An opinion to share?

Want to raise your profile?

The exhibition will take place from May 17th-19th 2022 at ExCeL, London and speaker applications are open now. You could give an individual presentation, join a panel discussion, lead a roundtable discussion, or even host a networking event. You might know that you want to do something but you’re not quite sure what yet. Whatever your position, let them know. They will work with speakers to help craft the best sessions for the programme.

Simply click here and tell them what you’re interested in doing
The more information you provide, the more it will help them to work out how you might fit best on the programme.

Successful applicants will then be contacted by the end of January.

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UKRI’s Advanced Air Mobility Demand Assessment Report

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) engaged EAMaven to analyze 20 potential routes across the #UK to assess the viability of advanced air mobility (#AAM) in the UK and chose 14 electric conventional take-off and landing (#eCTOL) and six #eVTOL routes.

Using a range of data sources and a bespoke AAM demand model, EAMaven determined the number of passengers who would switch from traditional road and rail modes of travel to AAM services.

It identified 390 potential routes with one airport having 28 routes which include both eVTOL and eCTOL routes, and estimated that over five million passengers per week could travel on these services where a large proportion of them would come from people traveling by car, helping to decarbonize regional travel in the UK.

Read the Report

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Fife-based Aerial Photographer Thomas Haywood wins Aerial Photographer Specialist of the Year

Fife-based aerial photographer, Thomas Haywood (51) has been awarded Aerial Photographer Specialist of the Year at the Corporate LiveWire Scotland Prestige Awards 2022.

The event, which took place on the 17th October at the Norton House Hotel, Edinburgh, celebrated businesses and individuals who consistently offer excellent products and services.

Thomas was presented with an award and award certificate to commemorate the occasion during the fairly quiet ceremony, attended by some of the top names in Scottish business.

The photographer, who recently moved to Dunfermline, Fife (from Edinburgh) with his partner, Mart, said he’d actually forgotten all about the award nomination when he received a phone call out of the blue in July telling him that he’d won.

Thomas said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked. In one respect it’s nice to crow about, but in another I’ve been quite humble, and mainly kept it to myself until now. It’s very nice to know that my photography is appreciated, because when I first started up I didn’t think much of it.

He continued: “At times I’m a perfectionist, but I don’t always realise it with my photography – we’re our own harshest critics, aren’t we?”

Thomas has made himself well-known for his tenacity and can-do, team player attitude; from producing high quality images and film of £3.5 million properties, to sports adventure photography, and flying his drone on a film set in the Isle of Skye!

Since Thomas first began working with drones seven years ago, he’s found himself travelling to historic sites, commercial buildings, sports events and so much more besides – and he’s always on the lookout for new challenges and experiences that push the limits.

Why did he become an aerial drone photographer in the first place? Here’s the story from Thomas himself:

“During my 12+ years as a professional photographer, I wanted to challenge myself to reach new heights in the fast-paced, innovative and ever-evolving world of drone photography. Having been a qualified drone pilot for nine and-a-half years now, I’m passionate about the benefits and opportunities aerial drone photography brings.”

With his distinct style and ability to nail a shot whether in the air or on the ground, it’s no wonder Thomas is in high demand. But there’s more to choosing a photographer than just popularity…

Thomas said: “A photographer’s photo collection is like a signature on a page; you can take five photographers to an event, and have five different stories. You have to decide which style you actually like – which often has nothing to do with cost.”

Interview and Photo Opportunities!

photos@thomashaywood.com

07968085609

Photos by Thomas Haywood

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The Adoption of Drone Technology in the Oil & Gas Industry: Texo webinar: Watch Again

10 November 2022

Changing the practices and culture within the oil and gas sector

Watch Again

Overview:

TEXO will be presenting on a number of key deliverables to the oil and gas sector covering the traditional inspection criteria all the way through to some of the land mapping challenges that drones have solved for their international client base.

The presentation will aim to give an insight into some of the benefits UAS technology has been able to deliver in the oil and gas industry in recent years and the positive impacts this has had within some organisations in terms of safety, time and cost on a number of projects and in their day-to-day operations.

Key Learnings:

Benefits to the oil and gas industry
Some of the challenges operators face
Types of data being utilised

Speakers:

James Arnott, Business Development Manager at Texo

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UKRI/Future Flight: Funding Call for Social Science Research – Option to collaborate with ARPAS-UK

The University of Birmingham, in collaboration with the ESRC and the UKRI’s ISCF Future Flight Challenge, is offering a programme of nine grants:
·      7 grants of £150 000 each + 2 research policy fellowships £80 000 each
·      Submission date: 16 November 2022
·      Start date: 1st April 2023. 14 months
·      Eligibility: primarily UK-based researchers who are eligible for ESRC funding.
·      Benefit of a collaboration with ARPAS-UK can be discussed.

Theme 1: Innovation by and for social and community need.
·       1a) Grant 1: Focus on disability and accessibility
·       1b) Grant 2: Focus on marginalised groups’ access and experiences
·       1c) Grant 3: Focus on digital exclusion from Future Flight transport
·       1d) Grant 4: Focus on socio-economic exclusion/inclusion
Theme 2: Future Flight Ecosystems and Enterprises.
Theme 3: Governance and Trustworthiness.
Theme 4: Spatiality of Future Flight

For further information on the grant call, and how to apply please follow this link: www.birmingham.ac.uk/futureflight
If you have any questions, please get in contact at: ffcsocialscience@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

ALS

27 September 2022

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DroneX: a round up, thoughts and preparing next year

7-8 Sep 2022, London

We were delighted to meet so many members and key stakeholders, and to share our stand with a few members as well: Richard Gill of Drone Defence, Toby Townrow of Dronevolution and Chris Crockford of Electric Aviation. It was fantastic to see the interaction between them and other exhibitors and visitors, as well as being able to introduce a number of people to them.

This was the 2^nd year of the UK’s only commercial UAV show, and focussed on The Future of Flight, Military & Defence, Emergency Services and the Commercial Sector.

With over 300 exhibitors and presentations, and positioned alongside Helitech, there was a wide variety of options for the visitor. Talks ranged from the Civil Aviation’s Mark Wharry on The Regulator’s Perspective (see our separate article on this keynote), PwC’s Craig Roberts on The Economic Impact of Drones on the UK Economy, to Inmarsat’s panel on Drone Deliveries: For the Good of our Health were fascinating, Thales’s Neil Watson on Accelerating the Adoption of Drone Services at Scale in the UK and Fraser Nash & The Thunderbird Project’s Stuart Keenan & Alan Bell on Priority Access to the Skies for Emergency Life-Saving Drones.

Now-Chair of ARPAS-UK, Graham Brown, spoke alongside Gordon Baker, the DfT’s Autonomous Systems Lead on Achieving the UK’s Drone Ambition and Some Steps to Achieve the Potential. If you would like a copy of this, please contact us.

There was a definite feel that the industry has become more well established, more mature and that it is being listened to by serious people. Where does the Show need to go from this solid position?

There are two complementary routes: one is to attract even more drone data end-users, i.e. industries using drones, to show how drones can help them deliver faster, safer, cheaper and more digital operations; the other is to attract (back?) the drone operators, for example by building on their professionalism via CPD sessions at the show. Sessions on different types of software, how to apply for an OSC, marketing your company, the importance of networking, the ins & outs of different types of work, how to go about finding work and how to apply for big contracts etc.

The team supporting DroneX have been very enthusiastic and supportive of the industry. They know our thoughts and we hope we will see this now being acted on.

If you would like to share your thoughts on how DroneX could evolve, please contact us membership@arpas.uk.

Exhibiting at DroneX 2023: 26-27 September 2023, London

This is an opportunity to exhibit at the show for a vastly reduced cost. If you’re interested in doing so next year, get in touch with the Operations Team via membership@arpas.uk
ARPAS-UK was also delighted to be able to offer a 20% discount on exhibiting to our members. We know of a couple who weren’t able to take advantage of this offer, having already booked their stand before becoming aware of it. Please remember to read our emails! We can confirm that we can offer members a 20% discount on next year.