Future Flight Challenge

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New Future of Flight Competitions Now Open

Accelerating Zero-Emission Aviation in the UK: Innovate UK, in collaboration with the Department for Transport (DfT), has launched two groundbreaking funding competitions to support the next generation of aviation technology in the UK. These initiatives are part of the wider Future of Flight programme, aimed at making zero-emission air travel and advanced drone services a commercial reality.

£600,000 Future Flight Regional Demonstrator

This competition is designed to back projects that demonstrate the large-scale potential of innovative flight technologies—including drones, eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing), and zero-emission CTOLs (conventional take-off and landing)—in real-world UK settings. The goal is to attract investment and deliver real benefits to local communities.
👉 Click here for competition details

£3 Million Future Flight Strategic Growth Competition

With a focus on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations, this competition supports collaborative projects driving the UK towards routine commercial drone usage. Successful proposals will contribute to safer skies and establish the UK as a leader in drone innovation.
👉 Click here for competition details

Both competitions close on 11 June 2025, and form part of the UK Government’s £20 million commitment to support future flight technologies, announced on 1 April 2025 by the Aviation Minister.

Upcoming Online Briefings – 19 May 2025

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend free briefing events and learn more about each competition:

  • Future Flight Strategic Growth:
    🕚 11:00–12:00
    🔗 Join via Zoom
  • Future Flight Regional Demonstrator:
    🕞 15:30–16:30
    🔗 Join via Zoom

Now’s the time to shape the skies of tomorrow—apply today!

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Project Skyway Stakeholder Engagement Report

Project Skyway is part of Phase 3 of Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge Programme, exploring a drone superhighway for BVLOS flights.

Connected Places Catapult‘s role was to engage with various stakeholders to understand perceptions, expectations, and concerns about drones and BVLOS usage. Stakeholders see benefits like promoting UK innovation and enhancing sustainability but have concerns about the superhighway’s resilience and logistics.

Industry Perceptions: Industry stakeholders see potential benefits in sustainability, time-saving, and safety but have concerns about regulations, system resilience, and operational complexity

Report recommendations: The report concludes with recommendations on emphasizing transparent communication, independent regulation, and comprehensive risk mitigation to ensure successful implementation and public acceptance.

Read the Report

2 August 2024

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Future Flight Use Cases: 9 ways Future Flight will transform aviation

The Future Flight Challenge has launched a new report highlighting the biggest opportunities for advanced air mobility, drones, and zero-emission aircraft. View the full report on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) website: Future flight use cases: nine ways future flight will transform aviation – UKRI

The report highlights key use cases, such as medical cargo delivery and urban air mobility. The report concisely describes for each:

✅ How tasks are performed today
✅ How this might change in the future
✅ What the benefits of using Future Flight tech could be
✅ How this supports sustainability
✅ What the challenges and timelines are
✅ How big the market opportunity is

UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, is a £300 million programme co-funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and industry to create a new aviation ecosystem for advanced air mobility, drones, and zero-emission regional aircraft. The Future Flight Challenge is helping to transform how we connect people, transport goods and deliver services in a sustainable way that delivers socio-economic benefits across the UK.

Read the Report

23 July 2024

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Innovate UK: Scaling New Heights – Investing in Future Flight
  • Date: 17 June 2024
  • Time: 1400 – 1800
  • Location: Level39, Canary Wharf, London

Join Innovate UK in London for an exclusive event to learn more about the Future Flight landscape and engage with a diverse network of investors.

Agenda

Including Anne-Lise Scaillierez, ARPAS-UK CEO, speaking on a panel The ‘Who Pays‘? Dilemma

Find out more & Register

Why the event is a must for investors:  

The event exists to equip you with the tools, connections and insights to navigate Future Flight investment. Through this event you will:  

  • Access deep insights from top experts actively engaged in the aviation industry.  
  • Engage with a diverse network of investors across the capital stack and industry experts at the forefront of Future Flight. 
  • Identify and overcome common barriers to investing in high-growth companies within the aviation industry.  

The event is designed to deepen your understanding of the Future Flight landscape, reveal unseen opportunities, and overcome barriers to investment. 

For Future Flight Sector Companies:

This event is primarily targeted towards investors. It is not a platform to pitch to investors but rather an opportunity to explore the realm of private investment within the Future Flight industry. Places are very limited so we may need to manage the attendee list.

Expression of interest registration:

Who should express interest in attending?

Future Flight sector companies looking to gain insight into the Future Flight investment landscape and market potential.

What to expect:

Upon registering your interest, we may contact you for further information to gauge your investor readiness.

Future Flight Companies – register interest to attend here.

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BSI: Future Flight Vocabulary standard: first iteration released

BSI Flex 1903 v1.0 2023-08

With thanks to our member BSI Group, to Anthony Venetz, long standing aviation expert at Across Safety Development, the Technical Author, and to all ARPAS-UK members who contributed to this first version.

What does BSI Flex 1903 cover?

The standard includes definitions of 90 terms and 53 acronyms used in future flight systems and the ecosystem in which they operate. This creates a shared vocabulary for everyone involved, ensuring a common understanding and use of terminology.

Why is it needed?

By enabling clear and effective communication across different fields and stakeholders, BSI Flex 1903 will help to streamline discussions and collaboration and accelerate acceptance of and trust in the technology.

Having a shared language will also foster innovation and development within the domain, playing a critical role in revolutionizing how we connect people, transport goods and provide services through new types of air vehicles.

Who is it for?

The standard is applicable to the UK-based future flight systems ecosystem. It is for use by legislators, regulators, insurers, and organizations involved in uncrewed aircraft systems operations, technologies, and infrastructure, as well as aircraft manufacturers.

To get your copy

Autumn 2023

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Post DroneX Summary

What a show DroneX Tradeshow & Conference was this year.

I’ve never had a show where the only break over the two days was 20 minutes due to how busy we were. It was great to see so many current members, returning members, new members and meet others with whom to collaborate to take the industry forwards. Thank you to everyone for their patience in waiting to speak to us.

We also had the wonderful Faltrego team filming for the mentoring project of young people that we’re part of this autumn in conjunction with Brightside, a charity with 20 years experience of running mentoring projects. This project will be brilliant if the quality of the mentors is anything to go by! David Walters, Karl EzeDeborah Saban-Eppel

There was huge interest in the BVLOS Risk Quantification course as well. The UK is going to have some extremely highly skilled UAS operators ready for BVLOS. Via the BVLOS Technical Special Interest Group and feeding into the NATS BVLOS Forum, we’ll keep working on the issues and practicalities at industry level.

Add to that, the interest in our CPD webinars, the guided tours of the show and the standing room only presentation that Anne-Lise Scaillierez & Graham Brown in conjunction with Frost & Sullivan & PwC UK gave on the Latest Market Outlook, and I can confidently say that was definitely a good event.

28 September 2023

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ARPAS-UK to partner with Brightside on Future Flight Mentoring Project

ARPAS-UK is excited to partner with social mobility charity Brightside to support young people facing barriers. Together, they’ll provide insight into the world of aviation through high-impact online mentoring to young people. The project is being delivered through the Future Flight Challenge to address the skills gap within the aviation sector.

The £300 million Future Flight Challenge was created by the UK Government to support the challenges that aviation has coming, with particular focus on electric, hydrogen and autonomous air vehicles. This is the third revolution in aviation.

Brightside’s mission is to help young people from under-represented backgrounds to make confident and informed decisions about their future. They do this by connecting them with an inspiring mentor online, through their fully safeguarded platform and app, where they can ask questions, get feedback and share links and resources.

ARPAS-UK is the non-profit trade association for the UK drone industry. They engage with a broad range of stakeholders, from Government to Regulators, other industries’ Professional and Trade Bodies to promote the use of drones within the UK to Industry as well as the General Public, ensuring drone use is safe and compliant. The Association is run by the members.

Brightside and ARPAS-UK will run a mentoring project starting in autumn 2023. Mentors who work across the sector will be matched with mentees to inspire the next generation and encourage them to take up the challenges that face the UK’s aviation future. In 2022, 77% of Brightside mentees said that mentoring influenced their decisions about what to do next.

Brightside COO Rachel Pigott said,

“We’re thrilled to be a partnering with ARPAS-UK as part of the Future Flight Challenge: Closing the Skills Gap. We will be using online mentoring to provide young people across the UK with a direct insight into this exciting and evolving sector and we can’t wait to see the impact.”

Online mentoring is a flexible volunteering opportunity, as mentors dedicate just one hour a week to support young people. All mentors receive training and complete a DBS check (organised by Brightside). If you’re interested in sharing your knowledge of the Future Flight and drone sector and making a huge difference to the life of a young person, sign up to become a mentor by emailing Elena Major, [email protected], Operations Manager at ARPAS-UK

3 July 2023

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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
Clogworks1-1

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

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!​

[email protected]

07968085609

Dusk over the Forth Bridges looking West
North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
The Kincardine Bridge at Sunset, Central Scotland_
Dunfermline Abbey at Sunset
Crail Harbour, East Neuk of Fife, Scotland
Sunset over Loch Linnhe and the West Highlands in February
Evening Light Ardnamurchan High School, Strontian, Aracle, West Highlands of Scotland, February 2021

Photos by Thomas Haywood

ARPAS-UK Community
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Future Flight Interactive Landscape Map

KTN has launched an interactive map connecting the wide variety of UK sectors and expertise that are fundamental to the third aviation revolution.

This interactive landscape map provides insight into the capability in the UK to support the integration of new aircraft with the digital and physical infrastructure necessary for future flight.  You can explore the map to see the breadth of investment and expertise in the UK.

View the Future Flight Landscape Map