European Network of U-space Demonstrators - Lessons Learned from the Isles of Scilly (UK) BVLOS Airbridge - June 2021
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European Network of U-space Demonstrators – Lessons Learned from the Isles of Scilly (UK) BVLOS Airbridge June 2021
Windracers – Who we are?
We are a privately funded not-for-profit focused on providing
transportation services for humanitarian aid, cargo logistics,
research and environmental protection communities:
• Direct to village distribution, keeps communities together
• Cover large landmass quickly and efficiently when ground
infrastructure impassable or non-existent
G-WNDR
• Minimal human intervention delivering quality and cost
benefits
Brief History:
Founded 2016
ULTRA First Flight 2019
ULTRA First BVLOS Flight 2020 G-CLLU
ULTRA First Scheduled Cargo Delivery Service 2021
UK’s largest civilian UAVs
Introducing the Windracers ULTRA
Platform
UNIQUE FEATURES IN THE GLOBAL MARKET
• No single point of failure design philosophy
• Multi-redundant ‘Masterless’ autopilot –
Distributed Avionics
• Easy cargo access
• Intelligent power management Take off at St Mary’s
• Automatic detection and avoidance (ADS-B and
Mode-S)
• Radio, LTE and satcom connected
• Payload flexibility
• “Specific” UK CAA regulatory category
Perranporth Airfield
Designed to be reliable, robust, economic
Isles of Scilly Airbridge – Project
Overview
Project Aim
Simulate a regular, scheduled delivery service of
medical and postal payloads from the north coast of
Cornwall to Isles of Scilly Fully Loaded Before Take off
Project Funding and Consortium
The Isles of Scilly Airbridge project was part funded
by Innovate UK and was delivered by a consortium
of companies including Windracers and the
University of Southampton
Return Route
Longest scheduled UAV cargo delivery route
The Regulatory Approval Process was
Robust Stakeholder Engagement
• Local air engagement established a “safe” and
non-disruptive area of operations
• 47 individuals contacted from 28 organisation,
which generated 15 discussion streams
Temporary Danger Area
• Creation of a temporary danger area that would
segregate the operations from other air users
Safety Case
• Submit a scrutinised safety case with the CAA
detailing the airframe (Windracers ULTRA) and
concept of operations
Working with airspace users to enable operations
Temporary Danger Area and Operational
Requirements Newquay
VHF Radio Operator – Newquay DAAIS
D E VHF Radio Operator – Perranporth Radio
Perranporth
VHF Radio C
Operator – • Three ground VHF radio operators proving
Scilly’s Radio deconfliction service
B
• Height restricted
• A local information service required
A
• Operate between 06:00 and 09:00
St. Mary’s • Vacated “segment B” by 08:15 on return leg
• Provide position updates via VHF Radio
• Mode S transponder required
• Give way to any manned traffic
Working with airspace users to design the Temporary
Danger Area
Lessons Learned – BVLOS using Temporary
Danger
Conflicting Area
Challenge Description Recommendation
requirements Some stakeholders had a perceived vested Regulatory bodies should consider the “risk” of
from interest in restricting operations as much as operations and disregard disproportional risk mitigation
stakeholders possible proposals from stakeholders
Time segregated Airspace can be shared with UAV operator that can
Generally all stakeholders did not want share
operations demonstrate the ability to give way to other aircraft and
airspace when the UAV was airborne
vice versa
Geographically Generally most stakeholders wanted the UAV Airspace can be shared with UAV operator that can
segregated operations to be geographically separated demonstrate the ability to give way to other aircraft and
operations from areas of increased airspace use vice versa
ADS-B was 100% reliable. Air-to-ground reception of
Electronic Aircraft was fitted with ADS-B transceiver.
Mode-S was patchy and seemed to vary with
conspicuity Mode-S was fitted on request from one of the
environmental conditions. Network/IOT based EC
stakeholders
devices are a recommendation for future missions
Aircraft position had to be broadcast via VHF This was a requirement imposed from the stakeholders.
Radio position This level of position reporting was unnecessary given
updates for the Danger Area Activity Information
Service the availability of Mode-S, ADS-B and separate over the
internet broadcast aircraft position
Temporary Danger Areas are tool for BVLOS operations testing
Moving to Proportionate Risk Management
Air Risk
Centralised traffic
Intra-city VTOL management
operations systems
Maritime and
Self rural
managing connection
airspace routes
Ground Risk
Next Steps…
The trials were a success with no negative impacts on the local airspace stakeholders.
• Island communities get an improved/alternative air
cargo service
• Level of risk mitigation for this mission was
excessive – future operations can be safely
integrated with other airspace users
• General/medium altitude commercial aviation pilots
are potentially most impacted by the increased
BVLOS operations
• UAV integration in the airspace must include “by-in”
from the existing aviation community
Scaling up to connect remote communities
Coming soon – Mail and
Medical Logistics in
Scotland
• To demonstrate capability of the Windracers ULTRA UAS to deliver
on-demand supplies to remote communities that suffer from
limited logistics
• NHS and Royal Mail flows considered
• Airspace change is challenging with the current CAA regulatory
structures
• Routes centred on the HIAL test centre of Kirkwall
• Routes:
• Wick – Kirkwall
• Kirkwall – Eday – North Ronaldsay
• Kirkwall – Fair Isle
• Kirkwall – Lerwick
• Kirkwall – Unst
• To be operated late autumn 2021
The scope of the network is
unprecedentedw w w .windracers.org
Shared Airspace Council Class Lima Airspace Proposal CAA Sandbox Application Summer 2021
Temporary Danger Areas (TDAs) are a blunt
instrument for drone operations - often referred
Problems encountered to as a “Brick Walls”
at scale ● Unpopular with airspace users
● Segregates airspace
● Inefficient
○ No other traffic when active
○ One UAV operation at a time
● Temporary
● Huge effort
It's a very exclusive
approach, not very
appropriate for any
sort of integrated
airspace or positive
engagement.Who are the Shared Airspace Council (SAC)?
The SAC is envisioned as body that includes
Why do we need a representatives from all main General Aviation bodies
within the UK (BGA, LAA, BFMA, etc…) as well as
Shared Airspace representatives from emergency services and armed
forces. It will be a highly visible construct with
Council? credentials to match.
What is the need for the Shared Airspace Council?
Current UAV-related approaches generally do not
include wider aviation. The SAC is a means to effect
that airspace change positively by leading from within.
It must be an inclusive effort of the whole community.A new type of airspace… Class “Lima”
● Inclusive
What is Class Lima? ● Renewable
Self Managing
(proposal in
●
● Robust/Simple
development) ●
●
Multiple UAV operator access
Designed initially for low air
traffic density areas
● Compliant UAVs
● Electronic Conspicuity (EC)
system agnostic
VHF “Unmanned G-DSTB 5NM North East of VRP
X, Altitude 1500 feet on QNH 1021, ground track
132 degrees, next waypoint 20NM east of VRP Y”
Class L SFC-2000Thank you
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