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London Oxford Airport and Blenheim Palace have a new way to approve uncrewed flights that require approval from both the airport and palace.
Both sites were facing challenges handling a growing number of drone flights, with last-minute requests and incomplete risk assessments taking time away from other work. Drone operators sent their requests by phone or email, and each request would contain different levels of detail. A drone operator then requested to fly over the portion of the Blenheim Palace estate that sat beneath London Oxford Airport’s Flight Restriction Zone. This meant that the airport, palace, and drone operator would have to conduct a three-way conversation to ensure everyone had the information they needed and everyone knew whether the flight could go ahead or not.
Altitude Angel was contracted to implement its GuardianUTM airspace management platform at the airport first. With every request coming through the same system and in the same format, London Oxford Airport had standardised information and consistency. Air Traffic Control could see all the day’s drone flights in one place and in one format.
The airport’s operations director, Kris Black, then suggested GuardianUTM to Blenheim Palace. A bespoke link was built into GuardianUTM for requests that require approval from both the airport and palace. If a drone operator submits a flight request that requires approval from both London Oxford Airport and Blenheim Palace, both airport and palace get the request along with the information they need. For example, Blenheim Palace requires evidence of public liability insurance whereas the airport does not, so each gets the documentation they need.
In addition, all parties can see who has approved the request. The drone operator receives clear confirmation if their flight has been approved, and payment is only taken on joint approval. Should either the airport or palace need to withdraw approval, the drone operator receives notification and a full refund.
The three parties continue to work together to make changes and implement new features.