Establishing Foundations for Advanced Drone Integration in UK
Altitude Angel, provider of Unified Traffic Management (UTM) technology, announced a significant expansion of its electronic conspicuity (EC) sensor network across the UK. This development supports the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Modernisation Strategy and sets the stage for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights in 2025.
Nationwide Coverage and Technological Advancements
Altitude Angel’s expanded EC sensor network will cover most of the UK by the end of the year. This network is designed for optimal low-altitude and low-latency reception across England, Scotland, and Wales, representing a significant advancement in aviation technology. It aims to safely integrate automated drones into UK airspace.
The network will provide extensive coverage of low-altitude ADS-B (on 1090MHz and 978MHz), FLARM, Mode-S, and drone RemoteID. This comprehensive surveillance capability ensures real-time monitoring of aviation broadcast signals.
Richard Parker, CEO and founder of Altitude Angel, stated, “As the CAA launches its ‘Airspace Modernisation Strategy, Part 3: Deployment Plan,’ we’re out there delivering the modern airspace the UK desperately needs. Aviation Minister Mike Kane recently said, ‘We [the UK] have an analogue airspace in a digital age designed nearer a time Yuri Gagarin reached for the stars. The moment for change is now…’ and I couldn’t agree more.”
Building a Robust EC Network
The EC sensor network supports the CAA’s policy of rolling out Transponder Mandatory Zones (TMZ). Altitude Angel’s solution is designed to ensure reliable reception of transponding signals within these zones.
Parker explained, “If we’re going to scale BVLOS into automated flights, better capabilities to detect non-EC aircraft are required. TMZs work well on paper, but the question which needs addressing is ‘what happens when a non-transponding aircraft flies right through a TMZ?’ We solve for that, with the second phase of our sensor roll-out – deploying our full Arrow sensor suite to detect the non-EC aircraft.”
The Arrow technology, to be deployed in 2025, will enable full automated BVLOS by detecting non-EC aircraft. This enhancement will provide a comprehensive real-time snapshot of airspace, even in TMZs, ensuring all low-flying aircraft are monitored.
Deployment and Future Capabilities
The EC network expansion aims to address the limitations of existing commercial aggregators, which are often slow and not optimized for low-altitude operations. Altitude Angel’s network, built for hyper-scale, uses aviation-grade receivers with backup power and communications systems.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to bring the costs down, and the capability up,” Parker said. The company’s investment in scalable hardware deployments ensures that high-quality EC and non-EC sensing can be provided globally, offering customized data streams as needed.
Benefits for Airspace Users
The sensor network will benefit new airspace users, such as drones and eVTOLs, as well as traditional aviation sectors, including airports and air navigation service providers. The network supports both traditional data formats like ASTERIX and modern formats for newer technology stacks, making it highly versatile.
In a move to enhance airspace safety, Altitude Angel will make data from the EC sensor network available for free to nationally recognized research organizations and individuals for non-commercial, private use.
Key Features of the Altitude Angel EC Sensor Network
- Comprehensive Coverage: The network provides full coverage across the UK, excluding Northern Ireland, and includes remote and rural areas.
- Real-Time Data Fusion: Data is combined with other information on Altitude Angel’s surveillance network for accuracy and situational awareness.
- Aviation-Grade Quality: The network uses certified equipment, professionally installed with redundant systems to meet high standards for real-time navigation and surveillance.
Altitude Angel’s expanded EC sensor network marks a pivotal step towards modernizing UK airspace and integrating automated drone flights, ensuring enhanced safety and efficiency for all airspace users.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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