I am Project Lead on a UAV system being developed in Ayrshire, Scotland, we are aiming towards some early (initially tethered) test flights in the late summer of 2019. We fully expect to be CAA audited, under a Special (rather than Open) category. All tests will be logged, slow and cautious initially, using remote sites in South West Scotland if permitted.
We'll be looking for pilots and observers/engineers with the LMA operational safety mindset, so we thought we might start early to see who might be about in Scotland or North West England in the LMA. While we have access to qualified pilots, there is something different here in approach; RPAS flying is only suitable for initial operations, we'll be introducing elements of autonomy through time (and as allowable). That does NOT mean BVLOS, but a slow development of the parameters that have to be addressed in comms, flight control, and other control events that could one day lead to BVLOS flying.
We have a hunch that those with LMA experience might just have insights that would be useful to us. You can contact me via skyhopper@mainhunter.co.uk if you are interested. And you can see where we are trying to get to via http://www.skyhopper.co.uk
