Your First July Update

Skyfly hits milestone with first airfield to airfield eVTOL flight

It was fantastic to see our client, Skyfly Technologies take the next step with its fully electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, the Axe.

The BBC reported that the Banbury-based firm successfully flew the aircraft from Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire to Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire, and back again under the care of pilot and Chief Technical Officer, William Brooks.

Brooks commented: “The aircraft performed very well. It has a gentle feel in turbulence, giving the impression of more span because of the motor masses at the tips. The comfort, outstanding view and lack of noise make for enjoyable flying.”

According to Skyfly: “The weekend’s flight represents a major step forward – not just for Skyfly, but for British and European aviation. The programme has progressed with remarkable consistency, and while some aerodynamic aspects of the canard wing have been refined, the fundamental design has proven solid from day one, meeting or exceeding all expectations.”

Hey you, up in the sky!

It was wonderful to see another Moonrock client, Celestial, contribute to what might just be THE cultural moment of 2024.

The drone show experts lit up the sky in Cardiff ahead of the inaugural Oasis gig of their first tour for 16-years.

The BBC reported that a large number of drones were flown in formation over the Principality Stadium ahead of the first chords being played by the band. We’re sure Liam and Noel were happy to ‘Roll with it’. Congratulations to Celestial for their contribution to a fantastic night.

UK Government launches £400m UK Defence Innovation organisation

The UK Government has developed the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) to streamline delivery of innovative technology, including drones, to Armed Forces personnel.

The £400 million annual budget will help create high-skilled jobs in the dual-use technology sector and turbocharge growth, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

While Moonrock does not insure weaponised drones we welcome the development as the investment in technology is certain to trickle down to commercial operations, enhancing the sector as a whole.

 

Drone delivery takes flight in Abu Dhabi

The very first drone parcel deliveries have taken place in Abu Dhabi. The National News reported that the test flight took place over Khalifa City and saw the drone deliver a package, which was picked up at a post office, to a designated dropzone. The delivery was dropped using a secure winch-based system.

According to The National News, the trial was completed under a partnership between Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), aviation technology company LODD, and 7X, an investment holding group which includes Emirates Post and express delivery provider EMX.

The trial is part of a wider effort to improve logistics in the Emirates using advanced transport technology.

Detect and avoid policy consultation responses published

The Civil Aviation Authority published its Detect and Avoid Policy Concept – Consultation Response Summary this month.

The consultation represents the next step for getting beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights off the ground.

According to the CAA, he Consultation was the initial step in the test phase, and feedback received will be used to develop and mature the DAA Policy. Updates to the policy will be driven by multiple sources, including; consultation responses, testing, scope expansion, Engagement with technical standards bodies etc.

The CAA stated: “The next published update to the DAA Policy is currently scheduled for Q2 2026, with the ‘Business as Usual’ version scheduled to align with the aims of the Future of Flight Programme in 2027. A further formal public consultation may also be included towards the end of this process and ahead of policy adoption.”

ARPAS-UK Drones in Action update

Trade body ARPAS-UK shared an exciting update about its member, Manna, and how it is evolving drone delivery in Ireland.

The report highlights: “The company allows local businesses to integrate their third-party software into an app that receives and processes orders, which are then delivered using drones equipped with biodegradable tethers.”

Manna has already completed 200,000 successful drone deliveries.

CHIRP Report: Vision systems

CHIRP, which collates self-reports on accidents and incidents to improve aviation safety featured an article which outlined the loss of a drone in the Thames.

The report detailed: “The UA was performing a survey at about 1m above the River Thames. The remote pilot paused the mission to avoid a pier but unexpectedly the UA lost height and dropped into the water. The cause of the problem was not determined.”

CHIRP advised that it suspected the issue was caused by the downward facing sensors on the DJI M300 drone model. It stated: “We believe the root cause of this occurrence was the downward looking obstacle sensors being switched on. We understand that some versions of the DJI M300 automatically switches them on below 5m and automatically switches them off above 5m. If the aircraft was hovering only 1m above water, the problem was created by a combination of the barometric pressure-based altitude reading saying one thing and the Infrared Sensing System altitude reading saying something different. Water has very low reflectivity and in addition, if there is any wave movement, what is reflected gives a false readout.”

CHIRP reminded users that the M300 manual clearly states the sensors may not work over water.

Moonrock announcements

We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for the MGA of the Year Award at the prestigious Insurance Insider Honours this year. A huge thank you to our hard-working team, our partners and capacity providers and our fantastic customers. The event takes place on 3rd September at The Brewery in London so we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed until then. In the meantime, happy flying!