CAA

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Call for Expertise: Routine Piloted eVTOL Flight Operations. Unique opportunity to shape UK roadmap. Contribute now! DfT-led UK Strategic Action Plan work.

The Department for Transport is coordinating a high level group, co-chaired with Duncan Walker of Skyports, that includes high level representatives of Gov’t, DFT, CAA, and Industry, including ARPAS-UK.

The objective is to converge on a UK UAS and e-VTOL roadmap, and associated CAA roadmaps. This is a unique opportunity to shape the direction and speed of our industry’s evolution. The 2 main areas of focus are:

  1. The evolution of the Specific Category combined with the airspace integration strategy, encapsulated in the strategic outcome of: “Routine UAS BVLOS operations at scale in airspace shared with other users”
  2. The emergence of Advanced Air Mobility, encapsulated in the strategic outcome of “ Routine Piloted eVTOL Flight Operations”, followed by “Initial remotely piloted/autonomous VTOL operations”.

The group is not public and no official communication is made at this stage. We will respect that status. However, detailed input beyond the general vision is required now so that the first draft reflects market needs and is backed by expertise on the ground. First workshops are being set up in the first half of July to discuss specific sub-topics.

We are keen to engage with membership, with a view to provide the best input to the group, meaning educated positions and expertise that help the authorities’ understanding and help the industry as a whole move forward.

If you have relevant expertise on EVTOL and can contribute, on an occasional basis or on a regular basis, please register your interest through the survey form HERE.

An equivalent call for expertise is launched for Routine UAS BVLOS in shared airspace.

Thank you for your contribution.

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PwC’s Inspiring Insights for opportunities within the UK Drone Industry


PwC: Building Trust in Commercial Drones

mavic 2, drone, dynamic-7870679.jpg

“Only 43% think industry is using commercial drones effectively”. Recently, PwC UK published Trust in Commercial Drones, an assessment of how industry attitudes to drones have changed over the past three years and the implications for actions to grow the UK drone economy. PwC stated “It was our pleasure to work with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology team on this project”.

The 2022 Skies Without Limits v2.0 (PwC) report showed the considerable potential for drones to positively impact the UK economy. The report noted that, to achieve this potential, there were several barriers to overcome. These included perception, (manner of drone) implementation, technology, regulation and skills.

In late 2022, PwC refreshed the 2019 “Building Trust in Drones” market research to assess how business attitudes towards drones have changed over the last 3 years. They went further than the 2019 work and tested the market research findings with selected drone industry players who either purchased drone services or provided drone services. 

drone, dji, phantom-2554181.jpg

Selected findings:

72% feel positive about commercial drones…

Drones expected to deliver benefits:
– Time savings (88%)
– Carbon reduction (87%)
– Safety (86%)
– Cost reduction (86%) 
– Productivity (84%)

Use cases strongly supported:
– Search and Rescue (88%) 
– Infrastructure inspection (87%)
– Monitoring emergencies (86%)
– Agriculture (85%) 
– Tracking criminals (83%)

…but only 43% think industry is using commercial drones effectively.


Issues include drone service provider credibility, clarity of drone benefits, lack of industry-specific qualifications and restrictive regulations.

The drone industry thinks action is needed on :
– Regulation
– Publicity
– Funding
– Qualifications
– Business case

Focussing regulatory efforts in market segments with compelling use cases may accelerate drone adoption.

Graham Brown, Chairman of ARPAS-UK, commented that the article is “an interesting read.” Additionally, Craig Lippett, Head of Technical Services at Eagle Eye Innovations Ltd, commented “…a fascinating and encouraging read…” Their positive feedback further emphasises the value and significance of the insights provided by PwC in their analysis of the UK drone economy.

Read the full report at:

https://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/emerging-technologies/drones/building-trust-commercial-drones.html

This article has been adapted from an original LinkedIn post by Craig Roberts, Head of Drones at PWC. PWC are an ARPAS-UK Member.

16 June 2023

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How is your PDRA01/OSC application or renewal with the CAA going? Give feedback.

Complete our survey HERE.

Let’s collate feedback about improvements and remaining issues, so we can share with the CAA, in a constructive manner, as a community, and collectively improve.

If you remember, we had published the outcome of our members’ survey in December 2022, and that included feedback on the operational authorisation process. Click HERE to review it. In a few words, the key challenges identified end 2022 were:

  • the CAA’s response time to applications, especially for OSCs (and ACP but that is another topic and different feedback form)
  • the quality and clarity of feedback
  • the lack of consistency between inspectors and over time.

Please share your feedback on applications submitted in 2023 (not 2022).

In your responses, please be as specific as possible, with details, dates and numbers, so we can evidence positions. We need facts, not opinions!

And you may complete the form more than once until year end if you have additional return of experience to share.

Thank you for your contributions.

26 June 2023

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CAA: Reminder for Remote Pilots operating under a PDRA

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority would like to remind every remote pilot that from 1 January 2024 if they operate under a PDRA01 (Pre-Defined Risk Assessment) they must hold a General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC), in order to comply with AMC1 to Article 8 of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947.

Any remote pilot who does not hold a GVC and who wishes to continue flying under a PDRA01 based operational authorisation, must obtain a GVC before 1 January 2024, by contacting a UK CAA approved Recognised Assessment Entity (RAE).

The list of RAEs can be found on the Flying in the Specific category page of the CAA’s website (or via ARPAS-UK Training Provider Members – ARPAS UK)

RPAS UNIT 
Civil Aviation Authority
Safety and Airspace Regulation Group

21 June 2023

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CAA test site requirements consultation: 15 June 2023 3.30-4.30pm

The CAA is holding an innovations test site requirements consultation which is an online briefing event.

The CAA is looking to facilitate the safe development of new RPAS and AAM concepts in the United Kingdom, as part of the Government’s ambition to make Britain a world leader for new forms of aviation. A key enabler of this ambition is the establishment of safe and useful test sites, where market entrants can test and evaluate their products.

To achieve this they need the views of the aviation community, to ensure that sites have the characteristics that enable research aims to be achieved, and for them to learn about the technologies they will need to certify.

They have set up this online briefing session to give more details on the aims of this exercise and to launch an accompanying survey, which they would really appreciate you to complete.

Register for Event
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WATCH! Retained EU Law in Aviation Discussion with Simon Phippard, Of Counsel at Bird&Bird.

Key take away following briefing by the Department of Transport on 31 May 2023 on Retained EU Law, following the removal of the “sunset clause”. Discussion between Simon Phippard, Of Counsel at Bird&Bird, and Anne-Lise Scaillierez, CEO, ARPAS-UK.

This follows the summary published a few days ago, where we expressed our understanding that EU retained laws, in Aviation, are essentially preserved and will be assimilated into UK Law. This understanding was confirmed in our discussions with Simon.

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EU Retained Law in Aviation: by default all preserved.

The Department for Transport held a briefing session with aviation stakeholders on 31 May 2023 following the government’s announcement that it was scrapping the sunset clause in the Retained EU Law (Revocation & Reform) Bill.

The new default mode is that all regulation is preserved and will be assimilated into UK Law. Only specific regulations identified in a schedule will be removed. For now, in aviation, the only exclusion is an outdated text. (https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/51204/documents/3436)

Most questions on the briefing call were around consumers rights and their protections in commercial transport – presumably these have been put to test during and after the pandemic.

The bill allows review and reforms where needed. The Retained EU Law is assimilated into UK Law, but can be reformed in due course after 2023.

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DIAG Minutes: April 2023
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CAA GA & RPAS Unit Update, ARPAS-UK annual conference, March 2023

With:

  • Kevin Woolsey, Co-Head GA & RPAS
  • Mark Wharry, Oversight & Safety Manager for GA & RPAS
  • Callum Holland, Transformation Manager for RPAS & AAM

The presentation and Q&A with the GA&RPAS Unit at the CAA was certainly a highlight of the day. Thank you Kevin Woolsey, Co-Head, Mark Wharry, Safety & Oversight Senior Manager, and Callum Holland, Transformation Manager, for coming in person, and for your commitment to engaging better with the industry. It was welcome news. 

Our Members’ Regulation Special Interest Group, the REG SIG team, had prepared a list of top 10 priorities, and the CAA team’s presentation was designed in response to these 10 points (link below). We all know that there has been and are still challenges, our industry is growing and innovating at a fast pace. Regulations and the regulators are industry enablers, and we are keen to collaborate and help the industry move forward.

Watch the video by clicking below:

Read the slide deck below:

CAA-PresentationDownload
SAM IS ....
OA/OSC submissions: AMC&GM Dec’22 updated requirements. CAA Reminder.

The CAA issued a reminder on the updated Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Materials, and the requirements of CAP722A when drafting the OSC volume 1-3 and Appendix A. 

Applications not submitted under this format will be placed on hold. 

A sign that updating OSCs in accordance with updated requirements needs work and preparation, and the transitional grace period is over.