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Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:23 am
by Ben K
"Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value."

-General Ferdinand Foch, 1911.

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:31 pm
by Miscellaneous
Interesting view @Flyin'Dutch', I sincerely hope this is not a case of the operator creating a market for themselves, which is not needed. :evil:

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:42 pm
by kanga
CAA approves operations. Skyports offering 'scheduled or on-demand' service:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-56154503

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:44 pm
by Miscellaneous
@kanga, yes, that's what instigated my comments as linked in my post this morning. :wink:

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:41 pm
by Iceman
Image

Iceman 8)

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:49 pm
by GrahamB
One wonders which way the long-term financials will pan out.

No doubt all these cowboy '1 CEO and a couple of teenagers' outfits are seeing this as a way to becoming hi-tech billionaires, particulary while at least one regulator has seemed either incompetent or willing to turn a blind eye, and grants and seed-corn funding are available.

On the other hand aviation has a habit of turning large fortunes into small ones.

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:07 pm
by flyingearly

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:14 pm
by Miscellaneous
That's the one, @flyingearly. Compare where it is to the TDAs on @Iceman's chart. As I said that road does not affect road transport to Oban.

Image

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:38 pm
by Rowans
Some details here of the 'bigger' picture....

https://www.eurocontrol.int/sites/defau ... yports.pdf

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:02 pm
by FlightDek
Love the way aircraft are referred to as "Manned intruders"


:lol: :lol:

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:10 pm
by Miscellaneous
@Rowans interesting, supports my thoughts really.

Let's say scepticism rather than cynicism. Covid came along at an opportune moment, let that slide. What is the case for a permanent service of 3kg loads over 100s of daily miles to GPs? :?

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:16 pm
by Cubflyer
COVID is just an excuse to get the funding for their trial, the real goal is small package deliveries. They have already advertised it locally as their aim and next step. Their desire is to be white van man in the sky, but currently they want that to be with no tax no MOT, no insurance and everyone else get out of the way. Or in the case of Goodwood, first it’s everyone else out of the way, then it’s, well some of you can come in, but only if you buy some expensive equipment, but by the way, one of our affiliated companies sells something that might let you in.

They really are running before they can walk, as is very well shown by the latest AAIB reports and it’s totally negligent of the CAA to allow them to do what they are doing now. They should be doing these BVLOS trial in current danger areas like Salisbury Plane or Aberporth, then when they have some drones that can be shown to meet an appropriate airworthiness and reliability standard and that also has an autonomous “Detect and Avoid” system not requiring any other equipment fit for other airspace users, then they can be allowed out into class G airspace.

Yes, drones are happening, but they need to be safe and to fit in with all the other current airspace users. No more segregated airspace, whether TDAs or TMZs. Let’s remember it’s not just GA pilots who are being denied access or asked to buy equipment to let the commercial drone operators make profits (effectively subsidising them) but it’s all the gliders, hang gliders, paragliders, model fliers and even “hobby” drone fliers. All are restricted or prohibited in these TDA/TMZs.

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:22 pm
by Miscellaneous
@Cubflyer my train of thought is with yours. It's difficult to determine the boundary of cynicism, however logically this does not add up. As for having the confidence the CAA is competent enough to oversee it, well…. :evil:

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:45 pm
by Oldfart
So every time this company gets a request for a drone flight they get a CAA Danger Area to exclude GA?
If unable a crossing clearance of the DA GA give way to a drone Surely not. ?

Re: TDA Approved for drones Oban-Lochgilphead ACP-2020-055.

PostPosted:Sun Mar 07, 2021 7:15 pm
by neutron
From the Oban Times
Oban Airport is being eyed as a base for the UK’s first ever drone operations and training academy – with a £2 million investment to get the idea off the ground.

Talks are under way about creating a state-of-the-art specialist centre to serve the west coast of Scotland which would require additional development at the site.

The idea has accelerated following the recently-announced £70 million rural growth deal for the region, involving Argyll and Bute Council, which owns the airport.

Currently drones flying between the islands and hospitals in Oban and Lochgilphead are overseen from a temporary mobile operations centre in the car park of the Lorn and Islands District General Hospital.

Stephen Whiston, head of strategic planning for Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership who is leading on healthcare logistics for the region, confirmed that Oban Airport is being eyed as a location for the UK’s first hub of its kind.

He said: ‘My colleagues in Argyll and Bute Council have identified a £2 million investment going into the establishment of drone operations from the Oban Airport, as well as obviously looking at a training element around that to develop the innovation and approach that we would need in rural Argyll.

‘There’s a real opportunity to scale this up and we want to work closely with (drone delivery company) Skyports about developing the business case. We have been doing a lot of work across Scotland with my colleagues in other health boards about what this means for opportunities across Scotland,’ said Mr Whiston.

‘We are very clear that we view this [using drones] as the future going forward within local logistics supply. We recognise, absolutely, that this has got potential and we want to see how we can build a national network.’

The drone trials – which were officially announced last week – are being closely watched by a number of interested health boards from Glasgow Greater and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, and Tayside, among others.

NHS bosses are keen to embrace new technology and improve rural patient care.

They are also desperate to solve the costly logistics headache that comes with serving hard-to-reach islands, where kit and important medical samples are often at the mercy of the weather, roads and ferries.

Argyll and Bute Council has confirmed it is working in partnership with research institutions including The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) which may also have a role to play.

The council described the plan as an ‘unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Technical Innovation Centre and Training Academy’.

The council said: ‘Working in partnership with Skyports, the council aims to develop a UAV logistics hub, providing drone deliveries across the West Coast of Scotland.

‘Combining a unique testing environment with a strong local research base will accelerate the development, deployment and commercialisation of new technologies and support the development of STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and maths) not only across Argyll and Bute, but in Scotland and the UK.’

It is, however, subject to a full business case and key to the scheme will be private sector corporate involvement and local job creation. Already, global brands Vodafone and Deloitte are at the table locally as major partners in the three-month Oban drone trials.

Duncan Walker, chief executive officer of Skyports, said: ‘For us, we see this as the next stepping stone on a journey of rolling this out on a much wider basis around Scotland and beyond to other NHS trusts and other users. Places like the west coast of Scotland, with its challenging terrain, are perfect for this kind of solution.’

Mr Whiston, for the HSCP, explained that when it came to moving samples and vital equipment around, Argyll and Bute had 33 ‘scattered’ GP practices.

Critical samples, some with a short shelf life, can be delayed when ferries are not running or roads closed, he said, using the repeated landslips at the main arterial route of the A83 as an example.

Yet in some cases, drones can transfer a pathology samples from an island to a hospital lab within 15-minutes – instead of 27 hours, officials said.

Mr Walker, for Skyports, stressed that drones would never entirely replace van deliveries or the transportation of heavier payloads via ferries, due to limitations on what a drone can carry.

But he said that by using ‘best in class’ drone technology, the drones had faced some ‘pretty good Scottish weather’ recently and had come through the test by demonstrating the robustness of the service.