Airspace and technology coalesce in final Caelus Flight Trials

The path to integrating drones into UK airspace is a bit like building a new road network:  working out the most appropriate routes, ensuring the vehicles are fit for purpose and that the rules of the road are robust enough to withstand traffic of today as well as anticipate that of the future. 

In the midst of drone flights taking place in UK skies today, it can be hard to see why they are so much more than just one more flight.  Each time we fly, we add to the bank of evidence needed to build the case for safely flying drones beyond visual line of sight commercially at scale in the UK.   

We do this through changing various aspects of each flight – for example, the payload, the location, the type of vehicle – Flylogix North Sea methane inspections and Caelus NHS delivery flights taking place in Aberdeen will all add a different bank of evidence to the case for scaling drone flights in the UK. 

For the current Caelus flights, we are trialling a different use of airspace to ensure it is robust enough to withstand the traffic of today as well as that of the future. This time around, we are incorporating a Temporary Segregated Area (TSA), which means Aberdeen airport can use the airspace safely and flexibly while minimising possible disruption to traditional traffic.  

To gain the full picture of how this trial will add to the case for flying drones at scale, it’s helpful to turn the clock back to last year.  The team were showcasing the simulation of integrated drone flights with traditional air traffic in an airport environment and Caelus was flying for the first time from Glasgow Airport. This and subsequent trials flew in a Temporary Danger Areas (TDAs), drone safe zones which exclude other traffic.  

In essence, all that has come before was the trailer for what we are seeing today.  

This time around, using a TSA, we don’t need a closed airport, a distant field or a long-term segregated volume of airspace to fly. This relatively new designation of airspace enables beyond visual line of sight drone flights to take place safely inside controlled airspace and for air traffic control to flexibly use it when the drone is clear. 

In order to choreograph the transition between the different types of airspace and coordinate with airport air traffic controllers, the new Trial Coordinator role comes into play. The Trial Coordinator communicates with ATC and the drone pilot to minimise delay to both parties. This ensures safety, seamlessness and minimal disruption to the airport operation. For this trial, I have had the privilege of stepping in to carry out this role, but in the future, this may be automated as can be seen in the simulated fight demonstration carried out last year. The Trial Coordinator role also paves the way for future trials, working alongside the NATS’ New Airspace Users team to integrate non-segregated drones. 

As with previous flight trials, this adds another layer to the volume of evidence building to support the case for scaling drone operations in the UK. It has also given our local Operations Support team and counterparts in the New Airspace Users team the opportunity to collaborate in new and uncharted territory. My personal thanks to everyone involved. 

These final trial drone flights for Caelus are culminating in bringing together technology innovations, airspace design, procedures and drone technology. Using the TSA means that the NHS needs can be met alongside those of the airport and breathe life into the role that technology will play in managing drone flights at scale in the future.