A UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge competition winner has taken off in Cornwall to unlock low-level airspace and enable the roll out of ground infrastructure to support lifeline and commodity deliveries via drone.
As part of the ‘Open Skies Cornwall’ consortium, ten companies and organisations have partnered together to unlock four Cornish airspace environments for the development of the next generation of unmanned aircraft, and to establish a network of ‘Skyhighways’ to connect remote communities for real world end users in Cornwall via drone.
During the project event at the end of 2022, maritime consortium member Falmouth Harbour and drone operator Skyports Drone Services conducted a live public urban to maritime flight demonstration. The flight between three drone delivery register locations within the Falmouth Harbour Drone Testbed Environment, facilitated by local landowners, provided the public with a first look at how electric cargo could be operated at Falmouth Harbour in the future for ship-to-shore deliveries to provide a more sustainable, efficient logistics service.
The pioneering consortium is led by DronePrep and also includes Royal Mail, NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, JHUBMED, Cornwall Council, Neuron Innovations and the University of Southampton.
Gareth Whatmore, CEO of DronePrep and Project Architect — Open Skies Cornwall, said: “As we enter 2023, it is very exciting to see the Open Skies Cornwall programme taking flight. The First demonstration flight within the Falmouth Harbour Testbed is the first of many pioneering flights in our unique airspace environments; over the next two years we will be using the intelligence gathered from the community via the Drone Delivery Register to plan for meaningful drone deliveries to support maritime, essential healthcare logistics and parcel delivery.
“I am looking forward to how our technology partners can work with communities to create sky-highways to better connect the region and create a logistics network fit for the 21st century.“
The event provided a first look at just one of the beneficial services that regular drone services could provide to Cornish communities via the Open Skies Cornwall programme. The flights performed in Falmouth Harbour are a continuation of trials and demonstrations performed in 2021 by DronePrep, Windracers, Skyports Drone Services and Royal Mail between the mainland and within the Isles of Scilly.
The event also marked the first time that the Drone Delivery Register was used. The DronePrep Drone Delivery Register will allow Royal Mail, NHS, Cornwall Council, Falmouth Harbour users, vessel owners, landowners and businesses to register take-off and landing locations for future drone deliveries, share permission to access land and assets and allow the project partners to test low-level flight corridors (Skyhighways) with agreement of all ground stakeholders.
In the future, the register will provide insights into how Cornish Communities can support progress in this innovative sector to support lifeline, medical and commodity deliveries in onshore, island and offshore maritime environments.
As part of the Open Skies Cornwall programme, partners will invest £2.4m of UKRI Future Flight Funding into Cornwall to build ground/landing infrastructure, unmanned traffic management sensor networks, commission new unmanned aircraft and establish Skyhighways (drone flying corridors) to support medical and commodity delivery for the NHS, Royal Mail, Cornwall Council, JHUBMED and the multiple users of Falmouth Harbour.
The launch event kicked off the Open Skies Cornwall community consultation and invited the public and businesses across Cornwall to help shape the future of drone logistics in the county by using the Drone Delivery Register to feedback opportunities, interest and concerns.
The event also brought together third party organisations including project managers Mott MacDonald, which is supporting the Open Skies Cornwall programme, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (Search and Rescue) which has recently commissioned £1billion funding for development of their air rescue capability over 10 years.
Also included are the Civil Aviation Authority Innovation team, which is pioneering regulation via UKRI Future Flight Challenge projects to serve the next generation of air vehicles, and Wholeship, which has already opened up an area the size of Luxembourg off the coast of Cornwall specifically for the development of civilian autonomous drone and air taxi services.
For more information about the DropPrep register and the ‘Open Skies Cornwall’ consortium, please click here.