NATS, the UK’s air navigation service provider, and Sky-Futures, a provider of commercial drone-based inspection services and training, have developed a combined training course for commercial pilots.
The combined Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) course syllabus can be adapted to meet the individual needs of trainees working in specific areas such as construction, offshore oil and gas, or the emergency services for example, and encompasses in-depth theoretical instruction in airspace and safety as well as real-life scenario-based training, according to a NATS press release.. It is designed to ensure organisations can secure the Civil Aviation Authority permissions required for drone pilots to operate commercially, whilst providing expert guidance on using drones safely in professional or commercial environments.
James Cranswick, NATS Drones Business Manager said: “This new combined course represents NATS’ latest initiative aimed at promoting the safe integration of drones into the skies above us. We recognise that drones have huge potential to deliver benefits across society and to the UK economy, so it’s essential that this industry aims for the highest possible safety standards from the start.
- On 16 May 2018 NATS announced it was investing USD69 million, worth around 10% equity, in space-based ADS-B service provider Aireon. Through a network of 66 low Earth orbiting Iridium® NEXT satellites, AireonSM will monitor the location of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft flying anywhere in the world.
