Strativ Group – Future Mobility – is recruiting Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – UAV/DroneTechnology – UK (South) – Hybrid Working Options. UK/EU candidates only
Callen-Lenz are looking to recruit a number of roles, including a UAV Programme Training Manager, Software & Systems Engineers, Procurement and Project Managers.
The United Kingdom’s commercial drone industry, valued at £501 million in 2023, stands at a pivotal juncture. In this paper by Connected Places Catapult “Beyond Sight Behind Barriers”, the authors examine the current state of the UK Drone Industry and what might be holding it back from the next steps of growth. Despite its rapid growth and the nation’s rich aviation heritage, the sector faces significant challenges due to regulatory uncertainties, particularly concerning Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. This ambiguity deters investment and hampers the integration of drones into the existing airspace framework. To harness the full economic potential and position the UK as a global leader in drone technology, immediate and decisive action is imperative. Establishing a dedicated task force with clear accountability, government representation, and targeted funding is essential to revitalize momentum and address existing regulatory gaps. Without such measures, the UK risks forfeiting substantial economic opportunities and ceding its competitive edge in the burgeoning global drone market.
This paper explores how the UK’s drone market design and regulation approach is missing key pieces of the puzzle: the current approach relies on many actors attempting to piece together the jigsaw without being able to visualise the final image displayed on the box. New leadership is desperately needed to reset the approach and configure a successful market, which the regulations can then support.
The paper measures the UK Drone Industry against other economic areas employing drones, examines drone traffic management technologies and focuses on the Skyway Case Study, before making concluding recommendations.
NATS Services and Altitude Angel partner to deliver Integrated Traffic Management Services Portfolio
The strategic partnership to support new airspace user integration across the UK.
NATS Services, the commercial arm of the UK’s leading ANSP and Altitude Angel, a global leader in unified traffic management (UTM) and creators of the 165 mile UK drone superhighway, have chosen the first day of Airspace World Expo in Geneva to announce a strategic commercial partnership which will revolutionise the way the sky is managed for new airspace users.
The combination of Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM suite of technologies and NATS Services’ leading airspace management expertise will enable competitive and innovative services to integrate new airspace users, while maintaining safe operations for its existing commercial aviation customers.
This deal will also see GuardianUTM Flight Approval Services being deployed at some NATS-controlled airports later in 2024, allowing for digitally managed UTM flight requests and approvals and enhances situational awareness.
The partnership will also accelerate Altitude Angel’s roll-out of its transformative ARROW technology, which when fused with its GuardianUTM platform, detects and identifies all airspace users, enabling drones to fly BVLOS and share the airspace with crewed aviation safely and securely.
Supporting the development of New Airspace Users through airspace integration and the provision of new services is one of our strategic priorities. This partnership with Altitude Angel is a milestone in UK aviation, bringing together the technology, operational expertise and innovation that will allow us to further support the industry.
The combination of Altitude Angel’s UTM technologies and NATS’ deep understanding of air traffic and airspace management will allow us to further embrace the integration of this new generation of airspace users, while also continuing to deliver the very highest standards of safety and efficiency.
Guy Adams, Managing Director of NATS Services
Through this alliance, NATS and Altitude Angel bring together the unparalleled strength of air traffic control expertise with the world leading innovation of UTM.
“This partnership brings together in-depth knowledge, real-world experience, and, most importantly, a shared vision for a future where the skies are not just open but interconnected, where traditional and emerging aviation seamlessly coexist. Together, we will create an airspace which reflects the harmony of collaboration and the promise of a safer, more sustainable aviation future for all. We are pleased our leadership and innovation has been recognised by NATS as important to not only its future, but to the future of UK airspace.”
Richard Parker, CEO & Founder of Altitude Angel
18 March 2024
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How London Heliport used GuardianUTM Approval Services to improve safety and increase efficiency
Heliport was facing a growing number of drone flight requests. And it was causing problems.
London Heliport’s Flight-Restriction Zone (FRZ) encompasses a number of locations: Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Stamford Bridge stadium, HMP Wandsworth, and many more. Unsurprisingly, hundreds of drone operators apply to fly within London Heliport’s FRZ, with the numbers increasing each year.
Each application requires its own risk assessment to ensure the safety of the heliport’s staff and passengers, not to mention the time and resources spent handling each request.
London Heliport needed a way to streamline the approvals process while maintaining strict operational safety.
Which is why London Heliport now works with Altitude Angel.
London’s only CAA-licensed heliport
Sitting opposite Chelsea Harbour for over 50 years, London Heliport is the only CAA licensed heliport serving the City of London. Providing a huge suite of luxury services to both VIPs and the business community, including private charters and airport transfers, it also serves as a departure and arrival point for events both in and around the City.
The heliport also provides local emergency services such as the London Air Ambulance with the facilities they need, helping them keep people safe and save lives.
With so much traffic coming in and out of the Heliport, safety is an absolute priority. Unauthorised drone flights can pose a huge risk to pilots and passengers, which is why the team is keen to work with and accommodate drone operators as much as possible. But the sheer number of flight applications was starting to make that difficult.
Struggling under administrative burden
Unfortunately, the growing number of drone flight applications submitted to the heliport was causing a strain on resources.
“Our main role is providing a VIP service to helicopters and passengers here. The guys at the front desk were trying to support passengers but having to spend loads of time dealing with drone flight applications.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
The source of the issues lay in the application process. Drone operators would contact the heliport and be sent an application form. The team would process the application, diligently checking it against other planned operations and assessing the risk. Where the application was found to be incomplete, the team would need to spend extra time seeking missing information from the drone operator.
If the team’s risk assessment determined the application was safe to approve, they would do so and manually process the administration fee by credit card machine or by verifying a wire transfer.
“It was long-winded and used up a lot of your time. One application could take you about half an hour.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
Processing up to 800 applications a year meant London Heliport was investing resources into 400 hours (and rising) of drone flight approvals.
Once a flight was approved, it was manually added to a central spreadsheet. Unfortunately, this didn’t give the team the visibility it needed.
“The biggest problem with the spreadsheet was it was huge. Last time I looked, there were over 700 permits. And flights weren’t listed individually. Permits were issued with date ranges. A line on the spreadsheet saying a pilot has a permit for a year doesn’t tell me what’s happening today.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
This meant that the Heliport’s audit trail needed a degree of interpretation to demonstrate operational safety, as well as relying on records of calls with individual drone operators on the day.
What they needed was a platform that would make the application process simple, straightforward, and efficient.
A platform like GuardianUTM Approval Services.
Easier, quicker, safer
Implementing GuardianUTM’s Approval Services took the burden away from London Heliport’s resources while maintaining operational safety.
Drone operators simply use one of Altitude Angel’s free drone planning tools to submit a flight request to operate in London Heliport’s FRZ. The platform consolidates all flight and operator information, saving the team time on verifying all the necessary information. Administration fees can even be automatically processed upon approval.
From half an hour per application, London Heliport saw dramatic time savings.
“Getting the approval service on GuardianUTM changed the game completely. Straightforward applications take significantly less time. Even ones with issues are much easier and faster. It has shaved off so much time.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
More importantly, these time savings don’t come at the price of safety. In fact, GuardianUTM makes it easier to conduct thorough risk assessments by bringing all the necessary data together in one place and the reduction in time has enabled us to keep our administrative fees from rising as demand increases.
The London Heliport team can see ground and air data from within London Heliport’s FRZ, as well as providing situational awareness of activity outside the FRZ, in a single view. Making it not just quicker and easier to conduct risk assessments, but ensuring such assessments are more comprehensive than ever.
“The situational awareness map is incredible. What you can see on there, and all the extra information is brilliant. This was one of the big selling points for us. It all shows up on the system. It gives us a picture of what’s going on.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
Continuing to make things better
Working with London Heliport has been an absolute pleasure, and we’re thrilled to see how much our GuardianUTM platform has helped them. And this is just the beginning.
“Altitude Angel’s service has been brilliant. And they’re working with us to constantly improve the system.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
All the while, we continue to provide London Heliport, and the drone operators flying within its FRZ, with any help they need to make the application process as straightforward as possible.
“The Altitude Angel team is brilliant. I know if anyone needs guidance, we can pass them on to the team to get the help they need.” Matthew Rice, Heliport Manager at London Heliport
You can also visit the contact page to speak to the team:Contact us
SAM IS ....
Altitude Angel and Saab to partner on Digital Tower technology
In a joint announcement made on 5th December 2022, Altitude Angel and Saab have revealed they have formed a partnership that will see Altitude Angel’s market-leading UTM technology platform integrated as part of Saab’s Digital Tower (r-TWR) offering.
Saab’s r-TWR is a next-generation Digital Tower solution, which builds on proven Saab video processing, visual presentation, and automation solutions. The Saab r-TWR is a flexible and scalable solution for a broad range of use cases and is already deployed for civil and military airports in Sweden, UK, US, and Germany and with implementations ongoing in Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, and Romania.
With the formal partnership agreement in place, Altitude Angel will begin integrating its GuardianUTM services into the r-TWR digital tower solution offered by Saab, allowing ANSPs and appropriate stakeholders to digitally authorize and manage uncrewed flights in conjunction with crewed flights, directly communicating authorization, clearance, and in-flight instructions to provide enhanced situational awareness of drone operations.
Richard Ellis, Altitude Angel, Chief Business Officer, said: “We’ve been working with Saab Tower Systems and Saab (operating the world’s first Digital Tower Centre in Sundsvall, Sweden) for some time and I’m excited to announce the formal partnership agreement. Our partnership with Saab allows us to seamlessly fuse cutting-edge ATM and UTM technologies in one innovative offering reducing time, effort, and complexity for airports, ANSPs, and drone operators to safely carry out operations integrated into the airspace.
“Through the integration of GuardianUTM, Saab will be able to provide Digital Towers which are equipped and ready for the demands of our future skies, as the use of drones increases and Urban Air Mobility through eVTOL aircraft becomes a day-to-day occurrence.”
Per Ahl, Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions, Chief Executive Officer: “In Altitude Angel, Saab can partner with the provider of the leading UTM platform in order to provide our airport and ANSP customers with the greatest and most accurate picture of the sky they manage. In harmony with the capability, the Saab r-TWR gives us, GuardianUTM Enterprise is providing us with key functionalities the future-proof our product for existing and new customers”
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 integrate robust data and services with minimum effort quickly.
Today, Altitude Angel’s market-defining technology is providing a critical, enabling service on which the future of UTM will be built across the globe. Altitude Angel is leading a consortium of businesses to build and develop 165 miles (265km) of ‘drone superhighways’ connecting airspace above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry, and Rugby over the next two years. The Skyway superhighway network, enabled using Altitude Angel’s ARROW technology, will unlock the huge potential offered by unmanned aerial vehicles and be a catalyst to enable growth in the urban air mobility industry.
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.
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 authorization systems. A growing portfolio of enhanced capabilities helps our customers to comply with current and future regulations and interface with changing national systems with minimal effort.
By unlocking the potential of drones and helping national aviation authorities, ANSPs, developers, and enterprise organizations, Altitude Angel is establishing new services to support the growth of the drone industry.
Altitude Angel was founded by Richard Parker in 2014 and is headquartered in Reading, UK.
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 authorization.
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.
Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions within military defence and civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents around the world. Through innovative, collaborative and pragmatic thinking, Saab develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.
For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Stephen Farmer, Altitude Angel, Head of Corporate Communications & PR Tel: +44 (0)118 321 4100 [email protected]
ARPAS-UK
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Advanced Air Mobility: Future Challenges & Opportunities: 9 Nov 2022
Join ANGOKA and Key Industry Experts for an Informative Summit on the Future of Advanced Air Mobility in Connected Societies.
ANGOKA, in collaboration with KPMG and ADS, is hosting an exclusive one-day Thought Leadership Event on Advanced Air Mobility in Connected Societies. The Drone Summit will consist of panel discussions, presentations, and exhibitions which will explore solutions to potential challenges as well as massive opportunities in the Advanced Air Mobility sector. The event intends to highlight experts’ perspectives on the advancements in the Air Mobility arena and how we can best reap the benefits of these developments.
To showcase the increasing threat to the security of connected devices, ANGOKA will also be performing a cybersecurity demonstration.
Guest speakers include:
Christopher Brown- KPMG
Craig Wilson – Altitude Angel
Laura O’Neill – Belfast Harbour
Paul Malcolmson – Innovate UK
Kieran Arnold – Digital Catapult
Dr Saba Al-Rubaye – Cranfield University
Gokhan Cellik – AtechSYN
Agenda
9.00 – 9.30 Registrations
9.30- 9.40 Welcome
9.40-10.00 – Keynote by Christopher Brown, KPMG: ‘The Twin Opportunity of Advanced Air Mobility for NI
10.00 -10.50 Panel – Advanced Air Mobility in Northern Ireland and the UK: Today, Tomorrow, and the Future
10.50 – 11.40 The role of Safe and Secure Communication in Advanced Air Mobility
Held over 3 days, the World ATM Congress – as its title suggests was previously the preserve of manned aviation and the associated aspects related to the visible and digital infrastructure to support the airports and airlines.
However with the rise of drones and AAM, the 2022 version (the first real one for over 2 years) is a very different beast. About 1/3 of the floor space and most of the stands recognise the industry and are actively looking to offer a service, or partner with some of the new participants such as UTM operators.
But most of you reading this might be saying, how does that benefit me? With a number of UK representatives leading talks and stands – we are having a strong voice when it comes to identifying the problems and offering solutions to integration of airspace, which otherwise will continue to hamstring operators’ ability to fly.
What I noticed is that there are a number of different parts of the problem that seem to be being solved in isolation, and that progress in collaboration is happening across a number of the standards bodies which offer a means for commonality e.g. EuroCAE, ASTM. What is less clear is how they are implemented, one commentator noted that despite EASA having an agreed set of regulations, each country is choosing to interpret them differently or the regulators in a country themselves are unable to deploy their own resources to manage solutions.
Also the excitement that first existed from others about how drones were going to shake up a slow,safety driven industry have quietened down as the industry has matured. UTMs getting certified seems to be a problem for another time, so they are working out how to act as a data ingestor into existing ANSPs who themselves recognise they need to offer services but aren’t quite sure how to do that.
What this conference doesn’t cover is the frustrations members might have about getting safety cases approved, renewals etc. But in summary the wider ATM industry is waking up to the potential of drones and AAM and therefore the offerings and solutions being presented will only multiply for the industry – which we hope is a good thing in the long run.
First Flights of Dragon Drone at Snowdonia Aerospace Centre
Snowdonia Aerospace is pleased to announce the successful first flights of their new Dragon drone at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, Llanbedr, last week.
Working in partnership with SwiftFlight Avionics and supported by Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge grant funding, the Dragon drone will be a major research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) platform for demonstrating the safe integration of drones into UK airspace for regular and routine beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. Further flight envelope expansion and capability development activities will continue over the summer at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre (SAC), which offers the only dedicated commercially-run, permanent Danger Area for drone testing in the UK.
The Dragon drone is equipped with an Echodyne airborne detect-and-avoid radar and Uavionix electronic conspicuity devices and will use the unique test environment at SAC to demonstrate integration with the ground-based Altitude Angel Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system and the potential for further integration with the UK 5G network in partnership with Virgin Media O2.
The Dragon also has the capacity to accommodate a further 5kg mass / 10 litres volume of third party payloads either in the nose or in a ventral pod for experimental test purposes. The maximum take-off weight is 55kg and endurance for RDT&E activities will be 2 to 4 hours depending on payload.
As well as the necessary technical developments to ensure safe BVLOS operation, Snowdonia Aerospace is also working with NHS Wales and a number of blue light and emergency services (including mountain rescue) to establish how drones can effectively contribute to supporting / working in parallel with these services whilst also delivering economic and societal benefit across Wales and beyond.
Lee Paul, Chief Executive Officer of Snowdonia Aerospace, said:
This is a great milestone passed and we look forward to regular BVLOS flights from later this month and engaging with others companies / operators who may wish to test their equipment /payloads along with taking advantage of our unique new Danger Area at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre.
Snowdonia Aerospace is an ARPAS-UK Member.
SAM IS ....
UK Government Backs World-First Programme to Build Air Architecture for Air Taxis and Delivery Drones
Coalition of industry and government, led by Urban-Air Port®, to create safe, clean and connected air corridors and ground infrastructure for future flying taxis and drones.
UK pioneers, Urban-Air Port®, Altitude Angel and Safeguard Vertiports, to deliver the technologies to build the future Air Architecture™ across the UK.
UK Government championing the Urban-Air Port®programme to strengthen UK leadership in the growing urban air mobility sector.
Urban-Air Port® and the Air Architecture™ will employ and support sustainable green technology in the fight against climate change.
First of more than 200 Urban-Air Port® hubs worldwide launching in Coventry in 2021 will demonstrate operational air corridors and ground infrastructure.
Urban-Air Port® will connect urban centres and under-served communities across the world – from vast modern cities to small towns and even off-grid villages.
Urban-Air Port® will provide multi-modal transport hubs of the future using net zero emissions and connecting air, road and rail to help unify transport networks, cut congestion and pollution.
Industry leaders Urban-Air Port® have announced a partnership with Altitude Angel and Safeguard Vertiports to design safe, clean and connected Air Architecture™ for future electric air taxis and autonomous logistics drones.
These ‘air roads’ will enable people and cargo to travel by manned and unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This world-first infrastructure programme, being demonstrated in Coventry later this year, is supported by the UK government as a significant step towards unlocking a future of clean urban air mobility for the UK and will provide a model for other countries to follow.
The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said:“Cleaner, inter-city flight technology is vital not only to reducing emissions, but to better connecting remote communities, from small towns in the UK to isolated settlements all around the world. As we build back greener from the pandemic, initiatives like the government-backed Air-One® project will help us develop the infrastructure needed to make our dreams of flying taxis a reality.”
The Government is supporting the development of urban air mobility to provide improved zero-carbon transport connectivity across the UK and reap the benefits from exporting these technologies to support this rapidly advancing global sector.
The global VTOL and drone market is estimated to be up to $2.9trn (£2.17trn) by 2040, according to Morgan Stanley.[i] In the US, NASA predicts urban air mobility could be worth up to $500bn (£375bn) in the near-term.[ii] eVTOLs and drones could enable doctors or medicine to get to patients in record time, urgent deliveries to arrive quickly without causing congestion or pollution and travellers and packages to reach remote communities that don’t have reliable road or rail.
However, NASA estimates that more than 70% of the potential urban air mobility market value is dependent on infrastructure[iii] – this value is what Urban-Air Port® is working to unlock. The company develops scalable, zero emission infrastructure for high frequency air mobility. Its Air-One® project is a world-first hub for future air taxis, drones and ground-based electric transport, such as cars, e-bikes and e-scooters, which will open in central Coventry later this year.
The urban air mobility market is growing fast. The first eVTOLs are expected to be commercialised in the next three to five years.[iv] Hyundai, a key partner of Urban-Air Port®, is one of several companies developing an eVTOL passenger vehicle. Hyundai’s will be commercialised by 2028.[v] Joby Aviation, the US-based aerospace start-up, plans to launch a commercial air taxi service in 2024.[vi] In April, UPS, the global logistics giant, announced a deal to purchase 150 eVTOL vehicles, for delivery in 2024, to cut delivery times and access smaller markets, demonstrating the growing maturity of the sector.[vii]
The challenge now is to design the Air Architecture™ that allows these passenger vehicles to fly within and between cities and towns and to manage the thousands of delivery drones anticipated in the future, with Amazon already planning to launch a UK drone delivery service.[viii]
Ricky Sandhu, Founder of Urban-Air Port®, said: “Our global transport systems are broken. Inner-city transport is congested, inefficient and polluted. In remote locations, it is either non-existent or over-priced, leaving many isolated and increasing economic disparity. But to fix this, we still look to siloed and ancient road and rail infrastructure.
“New innovations mean we can now reimagine transport to perfectly meet the needs of people and provide a cohesive, sustainable and reliable experience. Our Air Architecture™ can unlock clean and beautiful cities and connect the world in new ways – in the air and on the ground – bringing economic prosperity, cutting emissions and improving quality of life. This is a real British innovation success story – the UK can lead the world in accelerating this transport revolution.”
To create ‘air roads’ in which drones and eVTOLs will fly, Urban-Air Port® has formed a memorandum of understanding with fellow British innovators Altitude Angel and Safeguard Vertiports. Altitude Angel has developed an intuitive, cost-effective platform to digitally support the local Urban-Air Port® air traffic zone, enabling it to enhance and provide unified traffic management (UTM) Services. Safeguard Vertiports will develop a certification programme that will meet future Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations for safe operational turnarounds. The partners will work together to design, develop and demonstrate operational Air Architecture™ at the Urban-Air Port® Air-One® site later this year.
Altitude Angel provides the world’s leading UTM platform which enables unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned eVTOL aviation, to fly between locations safely and securely. Urban-Air Port® is developing a MOU with the CAA and offering support alongside Safeguard Vertiports, a CAA registered member, to define and develop the certification process for future UTM Air Architecture™ and Urban-Air Port® operational requirements.
Richard Ellis, Chief Business Officer at Altitude Angel, said: “We are proud to be part of Air Architecture™. By enabling eVTOL operators to safely transit through ‘air roads’ and integrate their operations into and around these urban airports, we will unlock the future potential of the national airspace infrastructure. Our platform will allow all users of the sky, from air-taxis and drone operators to general aviation and emergency service helicopters to share the airspace safely and securely.”
Chris Wood, Operations Manager at Safeguard Vertiports, said:“We are proud to be part of this developing transport infrastructure, providing critical analysis and support for the development of certifications and standards that will ensure the safe design and use of the platforms in Air Architecture™.”
Air roads: a new Air Architecture™
Similar to existing air corridors for commercial aircraft, air roads will be approved and regulated routes for future eVTOLs that will enable safe and efficient travel between Urban-Air Port® hubs and other sites. In the initial phase, each corridor will provide segregated airspace at defined altitudes for individual manned and unmanned eVTOLs. Similar to traditional air traffic control, the process will initially be managed by people. As the systems mature, traffic monitoring will be conducted by intelligent autonomous systems and supervised by people.
The air roads will initially be separate from existing aircraft corridors, operating at a much lower altitude when unmanned. They will be created between strategic locations, away from buildings and roads. Once the safety and environmental benefits are demonstrated, the airspace will become increasingly unified and will gradually expand to more locations to meet rising demand.
Altitude Angel’s award-winning UTM platform enables manned and unmanned aircraft to be tracked, monitored, communicated with and controlled in unsegregated airspace in real-time. The company has already launched the world’s first commercial drone ‘test corridor’ in open and unrestricted airspace in the Thames Valley, west of London.
13 May 2021
SAM IS ....
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.
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.
