Altitude Angel, UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, has announced Goodwood Aerodrome is to deploy its Approval Services platform which allows drone operators, and in the future eVTOL pilots, the ability to request and pay for operations within the airport’s airspace digitally and at the touch of a button.
Formerly known as RAF Westhampnett, Goodwood Aerodrome has been in operation as a civil airfield since 1958. Its West Sussex location makes it the south coast’s focal point for flying excellence and gives pilots, their passengers, and drone operators unique views over the Solent as well as the historic Goodwood Estate.
Altitude Angel’s Approval Services platform, described on its launch by [then] Aviation Minister Baroness Vere, as ‘a key step to [the UK] achieving its ambitious outcomes we are setting through the Future of Flight Industry Group’, allows drone operators to submit flight plans, which take place in part wholly or in part, within an airport’s FRZ, quickly and securely, as well as facilitating any charges the airport have in place when a flight is approved.
On the deployment of Altitude Angel’s Approval Services platform at Goodwood, Mark Gibb, Goodwood Aerodrome, Head of Aviation said: “The Goodwood Estate is synonymous with large and spectacular events, Motorsport, Horseracing, and, of course, its Aerodrome. The number of requests to fly drones, whether it be to film these sporting & mass entertainment occasions, or to obtain intimate footage of a very personal occasion such as a wedding, as well as those from recreational operators, has risen dramatically over recent years.
“We previously operated a web-based permission form. But now, operators can plan their flights and request permission to fly within the FRZ we manage without leaving the Drone Assist app, and in doing so receive a far quicker response. And for Goodwood, we have the confidence in who is flying and where.”
Chris Forster, Altitude Angel, Chief Operating Officer, added: “It’s great to be at Goodwood! As a busy commercial airfield, we are excited to be able to help enable more drone operations within the FRZ, giving both the aerodrome and its existing users an understanding of the airspace and who is operating within it, so everyone can fly safely and securely.”
