FlyBy Technology

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