It’s just Logical – Working with Flylogix to create a Blueprint for BVLOS operations.

The environment around Aberdeen is unique. There’s its size, for one thing – a huge chunk of airspace stretching from the Anglia coast all the way up past Shetland. Much of the countryside is rural with small populations. It’s also situated near the offshore community, and the airport itself has a busy helicopter operation. These factors all coalesce to make it the perfect place to test uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) flights.

Drones can launch from a land-based site on the coast and very quickly transition into an offshore environment, so the risk of flying over populated areas is reduced. We’ve got a significant operation in terms of the helicopter companies, so it’s not a wholly sterile piece of airspace to test a drone. And we’ve got a willing industry that wants to embrace this sort of technology.

The journey began in 2018, when the company Flylogix approached NATS to support them in testing the feasibility of using drones to monitor North Sea emissions for the offshore industry.

Initially we helped them to perform certain operations to see how the aircraft would operate, alongside managing the airspace. We started with the drone going out in one narrow corridor and coming back again, while learning how we can manage these operations within CAA regulations.

“The team in Aberdeen has always been very safety-minded but they’re also always keen to do something new,” adds Charles Tavner, CEO of Flylogix. “The first operation we did with them was from an island off the west of Shetland to an oil and gas asset. It was the first time that we had to interact with air traffic control.”

The partnership has progressed from small-scale trials to a fully-fledged commercial operation across the North Sea. We’re still operating within these temporary danger areas as that’s what the regulations allow us to do, but they have now gone from a single route to a complex network of corridors.

Flylogix now has multiple contracts with North Sea operators, and the teams at both companies have matured together. “It’s tightly coordinated now,” adds Charles. “When we started, we would essentially just block out a bit of airspace and fly there and back. Now, we’re routinely talking to air traffic control and they’re bringing aircraft in behind or in front of us, for example, and we’re coordinating with helicopters. We’ve learned and evolved it together.”

June 2024 saw the first commercial drone flight and NATS now effectively charges Flylogix on a per flight basis for the management of the airspace when they operate – similar to helicopter operators. It was only afterwards that we realised it was a big moment.

Sometimes it’s only when you step back, you realise how far you’ve come, and that can be said for the team in Aberdeen. We have always been renowned for our helicopter operation, but over the last few years, we’ve become the go-to people for drone operations and that kind of snuck up on us. It’s only when you look back at what we’ve achieved that you realise it’s key for the future of drone operations across the UK. We’ve all come on this journey and pulled together fantastically to make it work.

We’re proud to be returning as keynote sponsors of DroneX Tradeshow & Conference, where we’ll be sharing more about how we are working towards a truly integrated airspace for drones.

Keep an eye on our socials for more updates leading up to the show. In the meantime, you can check out our work so far: https://bit.ly/4675MrT