Netherlands ANSP LVNL and Altitude Angel, trusted UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, have announced the new look GoDrone flight planning app going live on Thursday, 20 June.
Designed and powered by Altitude Angel, GoDrone has established itself as the flight planning app for professional and recreational drone pilots across the Netherlands since its launch in 2020. GoDrone 2.0 will bring with it a host of new features giving users an even greater understanding of the Netherlands’ airspace and how to access it safely and securely.
Available on iOS and Android, the extensive update encompasses a suite of updated features and includes enhanced integrated flight planning, advanced flight plan drawing tools, and in a first for the Netherlands - Flight Approval services – the ability to request access to fly digitally in airspace such as an airport CTR– through the app.
As part of the Flight Approval Service are new and innovative features. An important change in the approval process for flying within the CTR for drones is the introduction of an additional status for mission plans. The status ‘reviewed’ is granted when a mission plan has been reviewed and provisionally accepted by LVNL's Operational Helpdesk. On the day of the flight, if air traffic control signs off on the flight, the mission plan is given the status 'approved' giving the drone pilot permission to call up to the tower directly.
‘’Providing accurate information aimed at the drone community is essential to ensure safe aviation in controlled airspace. Using user panels, we collected information and feedback from drone community to optimize the information provision’’ says Maartje van der Helm, LVNL, General Manager Performance and Development. ‘’With the further development of GoDrone, we are taking steps towards safer flight movements of unmanned and manned traffic in controlled Dutch airspace.’’
Paul deHaan, Altitude Angel (Netherlands), Managing Director, added: “The updated GoDrone app was designed with two things in mind: user experience and safer skies. The engineering team at Altitude Angel re-designed the app after collating, analysing and understand user feedback. These improvements will further enable the growth and commercial opportunities for unmanned aviation in the Netherlands.”
