Drone Major Group Logo Innovation Major Logo Cyber Major Logo Software Major Logo Phoenix Major Logo
For assistance and advice call +44 (0) 20 7458 4088, anytime 24/7, 365
For assistance and advice call +44 (0) 20 7458 4088, anytime 24/7

A Scopito White label

Has the thought of building your own analytics platform ever crossed your mind? Here’s a little exercise for the next time it happens.Grab some paper and a pen. Now scribble down all the features you need. Then how those would work together. How someone might use them, how they should be used and how to communicate that. Once you’re done, grab a blank sheet and draw all of it. This is just the first draft.That is what we did seven years ago, and the result didn’t look anything like it does today. Read More »


How to create UAS jobs for yourself. Starting a DSP in 4 steps

1. Picking a marketAre you stuck looking for UAS jobs in your area, but finding nothing? Have you considered starting your own company? It is easier than you might think. We have broken it down into 4 crucial steps. The first step for any budding entrepreneur, should always be to pick a beachhead market.Most entrepreneurs are head over heels in love with their business idea; so much in fact, that they often forget to consider, if there is a market for it, and how to win set market. But, thanks to this article, you won’t make that mistake. Let’s begin. Read More »


Succeeding with using drones/UAVs to optimize maintenance operations, in 4 steps

This article builds on the premise, that using drones for maintenance inspections, provides significant value.If you are looking to harvest the value of drones for your own organization, you are in the right place. Frequent inspections and predictive maintenance goes hand in hand, and UAVs are the way to go if keeping costs low is a priority.1. Start yesterday Read More »


Exactly how much is visual inspection data worth?

It can be easy to look for a one-and-done solution, when it comes to pole-maintenance. But is it worth it?In most cases, cooperatives are missing out on huge benefits, by not using their inspection data properly.This article investigates the short- and long term advantages of using drones for inspections, coupled with Data Management software for analysis and storage. Read More »


InsurTech SkyWatch.AI and Starr Insurance Companies launch a Usage-Based Drone Insurance Product in Canada

SkyWatch.AI and Starr offer on-demand hourly, monthly and annual drone insurance solutions based on a proprietary safety platform SkyWatch.AI, the world’s first on-demand, telematics-based insurance platform for commercial drone pilots, launched its drone insurance product in Ontario, Canada. SkyWatch.AI’s dedicated drone insurance allows professional drone pilots to easily set and manage their coverage through their mobile or desktop devices. The policies are underwritten by a member of Starr Insurance Companies, the leading aviation insurance company in North America, which has insurance carriers rated “A” (excellent) by AM. Best. Read More »


Public engagement on the criteria for assessing and accepting the Airspace Change Masterplan

Categories: Airspace changePublic engagement on the criteria for assessing and accepting the Airspace Change MasterplanAs part of the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy, CAA and the Department for Transport (DfT), have commissioned NERL to establish an impartial team known as the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG) to lead the programme to create a coordinated implementation plan for airspace changes in Southern UK. This is being referred to as the Masterplan for short. Read More »


NAV CANADA signs strategic agreement with Unifly

February 26, 2020, OTTAWA/ANTWERP – NAV CANADA has entered into an agreement with Unifly, a strategic technology partner, in the deployment of a national system that provides digital services for safely operating and managing drones in Canadian airspace.The system has an intuitive user interface and will enable Canadian drone pilots to access web and mobile applications to identify safe and legal airspace, plan flights, manage operations, pilots and fleet of drones.  This fully digitized system makes the process of requesting authorization to fly in controlled airspace easier and faster for qualified drone pilots. The app will also benefit airlines and general aviation pilots, as it reduces the risk of accidental drone incursions.As Canada’s air navigation service provider, NAV CANADA has an essential role to play in developing an operating environment that supports the innovative potential of the drone industry and ensures safety across Canadian airspace.The system is designed t Read More »


CHIRP General Aviation FEEDBACK Edition 83

Categories: Aerodrome safety, Air display and events, Airspace alerts, Airspace change, Autogyros, Balloons, Drones, Flight training private, Gliders, Microlights, Private pilot aeroplane, Private pilot helicopterCHIRP General Aviation FEEDBACK Edition 83Flight Planning and the use of electronic devices is a major theme in this edition. Every flight needs to be planned thoroughly and the use of electronic devices can ensure NOTAMs and Controlled Airspace are avoided by an appropriate margin. Similarly, in the air electronic aids can be invaluable provided they are set up and used correctly but pilots must have some back-up means of navigating immediately available for the occasions when they fail. Read More »


Alert for Restricted Airspace - Cheltenham (Temporary)

Categories: Air displays and events, Air traffic control, Airspace alerts, Balloons, Commercial pilot helicopter, Drones, Flight training private, Gliders, Microlights, Private pilot aeroplane, Private pilot helicopterAlert for Restricted Airspace - Cheltenham (Temporary) Restriction of Flying Regulations for Cheltenham Festival 2020 from 10 to13 March 2020. Details by NOTAM and in AIC M013/2020.  Restrictions also apply to the operation of all drones.   SW2020/038 Read More »


DRONE DELIVERY WHITE PAPER SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE

The Drone Delivery Group committee met on the 12th of February 2020 and we are proud to announce that the White Paper has been fully revised and re-issued to committee members for approval.Drone Major Group also met with the Department for Transport today for their input into the White Paper which will be released for group wide consultation in the next two weeks. The paper will then be presented to Government in March.  Read More »


UK Drone Delivery Group makes urgent ‘call to action’ for property owners and influencers to provide testing areas for drones - to prevent ‘bottleneck to growth’

One of the UK’s leading drone experts today urged British property owners and business leaders to leverage the opportunity of their under-used land for drone testing, to help accelerate the rate of growth of the UK drone industry, in the face of what he described as ‘an emerging ‘bottleneck’ to growth’.Robert Garbett founder of the UK Drone Delivery Group, which is the first industry initiative to provide guidance on the steps required to enable accelerated commercialisation of the UK Drone Industry, stated “There is a current unnecessary ‘bottleneck’ in the evolution of the drone industry and this primarily lies in the lack of controlled testing locations which can provide trial areas and safe environments to accelerate the development of drone technology, help to shape its standards, and ensure appropriate but non constricting regulations”.He commented “The British Government has played a constructive role to date and the UK is a world leader in drone technology� Read More »


Jamming trial to effect electronic situational awareness devices and UAS system 40,000 FT AMSL

Categories: Drones, Gliders, Microlights, Private pilot aeroplane, Private pilot helicopterJamming activity will take place 10 - 21 February 2020, 0800 and 1800 GMT, near RAF Spadeadam and surrounding areas.This may affect cockpit devices and UAS systems operating on 433MHz, 868MHz (FLARM/PilotAware), and 2.4GHz, 5.8GHz (WiFi) within 30 NM of 550306N 0023318W (spadeadam) up to 40,000 FT AMSL. Read More »


What’s the difference between PPK and RTK drones, and which one is better?

Post-processed kinematic (PPK) and real-time kinematic (RTK) are not new technologies. They’ve been used in terrestrial surveying for years to improve the accuracy of GNSS data. Both methods correct the location of drone mapping data and remove the need for GCPs, bringing absolute accuracy down to cm (sub-inch) range However, when you factor in obstacles and environmental conditions common to aerial surveying, the difference between a PPK drone and an RTK drone becomes more important to understand. In fact, choosing the best correction method for your surveys will save you time and project costs. But how do you know which is best? The answer can be found in learning about how each method works, including its inherent strengths and drawbacks.What is an RTK drone (and how does RTK work)?An RTK drone carries an onboard GNSS RTK receiver that gathers data from satellites and a stationary base (ground) station to more accurately correct image location, in real time as it flies Satell Read More »


Wingtra and Delair sign on dotted line to offer practical business insights from large, high-accuracy drone mapping projects

The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) WingtraOne mapping drone and delair.ai artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software will now be promoted in both companies’ portfolios of solutions for extracting useful business insights from large, high-accuracy drone mapping projects. Earlier this year, Wingtra and Delair announced that the compatibility of the two products was tested and evaluated. Due to the complementarity of their solutions, they recently made the decision to join forces in a sales partnership. “We tested WingtraOne data compatibility with delair.ai a while ago and were convinced by the ease of use and the functionality of the software, especially in cases where deep AI analytics and accessibility by stakeholders is important,” said Leopold Flechsenberger, Head of Sales at Wingtra. We are excited to include delair.ai in our recommended software portfolio and that they’re promoting WingtraOne as a go-to drone when customers require a VTO Read More »


Mira Early Adopter Program

To visionary UAV/RPAS pilots,Mira cordially invites visionary UAV/RPAS pilots and entrepreneurs to join our early adopter program of the Mira Rotorcraft System. Take the opportunity to enrich your capabilities with this unique, versatile and UAV system!Mira has developed, and is now poised to reveal, the Mira Rotorcraft — a conceptually-new, universal and modular unmanned aerial system. The unique Mira Rotorcraft has been purposely and strategically designed with unrivalled versatility, enabling the widest range of aerial tasks and missions to be accomplished using the same, single vehicle. Read More »


SN-2020/002: Small Unmanned Aircraft – Overflight of Uninvolved People

Please find below details of the CAA Publication you have selected. Dependent on availability, you are able to download the file, or purchase a printed copy.EU exit Please note that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a negotiated agreement, some CAA website content and application forms may continue to carry the EASA logo or reference the EU or EASA rather than the UK CAA in the short term. These will be updated in due course following the UK’s departure from the EU. In the meantime, the guidance provided and the application forms accessed via the CAA website portal will continue to be valid.Reference:SN-2020/002Title:Small Unmanned Aircraft – Overflight of Uninvolved PeopleDescription:The purpose of this Safety Notice is to provide additional guidance to remote pilots in the form of suggested best practice when considering flight over people in accordance with articles 95(2)(d) or 95(3) of the ANO. It is also intended to remind and assist remote pilots in meeting the Read More »


SN-2020/001: Small Unmanned Aircraft - Water Ingress

Please find below details of the CAA Publication you have selected. Dependent on availability, you are able to download the file, or purchase a printed copy.EU exit Please note that, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a negotiated agreement, some CAA website content and application forms may continue to carry the EASA logo or reference the EU or EASA rather than the UK CAA in the short term. These will be updated in due course following the UK’s departure from the EU. In the meantime, the guidance provided and the application forms accessed via the CAA website portal will continue to be valid.Reference:SN-2020/001Title:Small Unmanned Aircraft – Water IngressDescription:The purpose of this Safety Notice is to remind pilots of the requirement in law that they must be reasonably satisfied that a flight can be safely made (ANO 2016 article 94(2).Status:CurrentReview Comment:NoneVersion:1Date:16 January 2020 Read More »


Creative genius by artificial intelligence – but who owns the copyright?

Artificial intelligence, once the stuff of science fiction, is now common place in our day to day lives. This is only set to increase rapidly over the coming years, but not without a unique set of legal challenges.One key  challenge is the question of how the relationship between AI and copyright is defined. Whilst historically AI has taken over repetitive, process driven tasks carried out by humans, AI has now entered the creative sphere. Huge numbers of non-human AI artists, poets, writers and musicians have emerged, creating high level pieces of creative works. In 2018 Christie’s became the first auction house to offer a work of art created by an algorithm – the portrait, titled Edmond de Belamy, sold for $432,500. Whilst there is clearly a demand for AI as an emerging creative medium,  who owns the copyright in what is created?Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1998), ownership of the copyright in source code or other data is defined by reference to the Read More »


Shetland Space Centre (SSC) Design Principles Questionnaire

Shetland Space Centre (SSC) is developing a vertical launch spaceport on the island of Unst, Shetland. The spaceport will launch small rockets into space from Lamba Ness on Unst in a Northerly direction over the sea. To ensure that the launching rockets are protected from other air users SSC (the change sponsor) are undertaking an Airspace Change with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The change process is described in CAP 1616, which can be found at this link: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP1616E2noninteractive.pdf One of the key principles of the change process is that it should be as transparent as possible, therefore the CAA hosts an airspace change portal where individual airspace changes can be followed. The following link will take you to the portal: https://airspacechange.caa.co.uk/OrganizationSearch Read More »


The CAA has launched a consultation on our airspace classification review

Help us identify volumes of controlled airspace in which the classification could be reviewedOn 30 October 2019 the Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to amend the 2017 Air Navigation Directions to give us a new role regarding the way in which airspace is classified. This now means that we must:Regularly consider whether to review the classification of airspace; consult airspace users as part of that review; where we consider a change to classification might be made, amend it ourselves in accordance with a new procedure that we must develop and publish; in developing that procedure and our policy describing airspace classifications, seek to ensure that the amount of controlled airspace is the minimum required to maintain a high standard of air safety and, subject to overriding national security or defence requirements, that the needs of all airspace users are reflected on an equitable basis. Read More »