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Windracers in new UK CAA scheme to help unlock deliveries

SATE is confirmed as one of six projects to be selected for trials under a new UK Civil Aviation Authority scheme that will test drone deliveries, inspections of infrastructure and flights to remote locations.

The regulator has chosen the trials to take place that will help safely integrate drones flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of their operator into UK airspace, helping to make this vital extension to drone flying an everyday reality.

The Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE), part of the UKRI Future Flight Challenge, is the UK’s first operationally based low-carbon aviation test centre, based at Kirkwall Airport on Orkney. 

Jayne Golding, SATE manager at HITRANS said: “One of the primary objectives of a sandbox is to strike a balance between promoting innovation and ensuring safety and regulatory compliance within the aviation sector. By providing a structured framework for the testing environment, they aim to help identify and address potential regulatory challenges early in the development process, ultimately paving the way for safer, more efficient, and more sustainable aviation practices.

“HIAL and Windracers will be leading on this for our trials in Orkney and we are delighted to have been accepted into this sandbox.”

BVLOS flights will be carried out at distances beyond the flyer’s ability to see the drone. These flights use advanced technologies for navigation, control and to detect other aircraft.

Other projects to be selected include:

  • Amazon Prime Air; (consumer drone deliveries)
  • Airspection; (inspecting offshore windfarms)
  • National Police Air Service; (NPAS) (exploring drone use in policing)
  • NATS; (BVLOS inspections over the North Sea)
  • Project Lifeline; (medical deliveries)

The trials will gather key safety data, such as how drones detect and avoid other aircraft, the electronic signals they can send to be able to be visible to other airspace users and air traffic control.

This will support the regulator’s ongoing development of policy and regulations so that drone flights can be fully integrated with other airspace users.

Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:“These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace. By supporting projects ranging from consumer deliveries to critical infrastructure inspections, we are gathering essential data to shape future policies and regulations.

“Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the incorporation of new technology into our skies.”

The BVLOS sandbox is part of a collaboration with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) that is supporting the creation of the aviation ecosystem needed to accelerate the introduction of advanced air mobility (AAM), drones, and electric sub-regional aircraft in the UK.

The new trials will also help develop plans for how drones can be safely integrated with other airspace users, as part of the regulator’s wider Airspace Modernisation Strategy.