“Electronically Conspicuous” Recreational Aircraft: Study Indicates What the UK Drone Industry Requires

The research indicated the need for drones to be visible and for a minister of drones to bring the UK drone industry into line with its growth potential.
By
reviewed
Reviewed by
Last updatedLast updated: February 01, 2024
Extreme Fliers is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

In the UK Trusted Source Drones - United Kingdom | Statista Market Forecast In the Drones segment, volume is expected to amount to 0.22m pcs. by 2025. The Drones segment is expected to show a volume growth of 23.5% in 2022. www.statista.com , the drone industry is currently worth around 90 million dollars as of 2021 and is set to rise around 7% every year. Of course, as with the rest of the world, there are multiple changes required to move the industry forward and create the kind of change that enables true progress in this sector.

One such recommended change has come from the Entrepreneurs Network. They have researched and published a paper outlining exactly what they believe the UK drone industry needs to fully tap into the potential worth of this industry by 2030.

The paper, labeled ‘Digitise The Skies’, discusses the various points that have to be addressed so that the drone industry can ‘take off’, so to speak.

Make Manned Aircraft Visible to Drones

One of the paper’s major points was that small recreational aircraft that are manned have to be visible to drones. This problem is currently a barrier in the UK drone industry, causing safety and logistical issues.

As it stands in the UK, most manned aircraft do have systems that let local air traffic control know where they are, so drones have the ability to ‘see’ them. Unfortunately, older and smaller recreational aircraft do not have the same requirement, and so many of them are basically invisible to drones.

Therefore, drones and other unmanned aircraft are posed with a problem because it is currently up to them to show they can identify all manned aircraft in a space before they have full access to the skies. The paper suggests that instead, it is better to pay for all older aircraft to have the right equipment to let air traffic control know where they are so that the full commercial potential of drones can be unlocked.

This would cost around £10 million UK pounds, but the paper suggests that money can be made back through the potential of a £42 billion drone economy. There was already a scheme running by the Department for Transport that offered recreational fliers half of their outgoings back on any money invested in electronic visibility software/ hardware. The paper suggests that their idea is just an expansion of this and a speedy way to get past this huge drone industry hurdle quickly.

Appoint a Minister of Drones

The Digitise, the Skies researchers, also suggested that a Minister of Drones be appointed by the government so that this industry could get the kind of attention and priority it deserves. The researchers understand that the capacity for complete industry transformations to take place because of drones is huge. Both the commercial and recreational drone market worldwide is expected to exceed $100 billion within the next decade Trusted Source Global Commercial Drone Market Expected to Exceed $8.5 Billion By 2027 | PR Newswire For years, the drone market was in a nascent phase and had yet to break into the mainstream. Then, in 2016, drone industry growth took flight when the (FAA) granted hundreds of new exemptions for companies to operate drones in the U.S. www.prnewswire.com because of the vast growth of the industry. The support for the drone industry from customers, businesses, and governments means that investment and expenditure are coming from multiple sources, and we’re only just on the precipice of change.

A minister of drones would enable a key representative in this category of aviation and commercial ventures, enabling safety, security, and investment to be focused and help the UK get on track with the rest of the world’s drone industry progress.

The complete paper features multiple research points and recommendations to bring the UK drone sector projections into line with the industry’s potential.

References

1.
Drones - United Kingdom | Statista Market Forecast
In the Drones segment, volume is expected to amount to 0.22m pcs. by 2025. The Drones segment is expected to show a volume growth of 23.5% in 2022.
2.
Global Commercial Drone Market Expected to Exceed $8.5 Billion By 2027 | PR Newswire
For years, the drone market was in a nascent phase and had yet to break into the mainstream. Then, in 2016, drone industry growth took flight when the (FAA) granted hundreds of new exemptions for companies to operate drones in the U.S.
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *