UTM Ready Programme FAQs

If your airport or aerodrome becomes a part of our 'UTM Ready' programme by either using our Digital Approvals services or deploying a partner-integrated solution, Altitude Angel will provide a single view, digital access to a comprehensive set of data about the flight requestor and operations requiring approval. However, if you haven't joined the programme, we can only share a standard PDF containing basic information, which our research indicates should still be sufficient for you to initiate a conversation with the drone operator.

Facilities receive the Altitude Angel emails because they have listed an email address publicly for drone operators to use when requesting permission to fly within their controlled airspace. If you subsequently stop accepting UAS flight requests via email and withdraw the email address from your website for use by drone operators, please let us know by writing to: legacyairports@altitudeangel.com. 

No. When a flight plan is submitted by a pilot, we will send you a notification email containing a summary of the requested flight operation. Subsequently, you can continue with your existing 'offline' process without our direct intervention.

In light of the growing commercial utilisation of drones and subsequent increase in approval requests, you might consider transitioning to a standardised, streamlined, and auditable single-view digital system for improved efficiency and management. 

No. Altitude Angel offers the 'Basic' UTM Ready service as a complimentary offering to UK airports and drone pilots, with no associated costs. However, for those seeking enhanced capabilities, upgrading to the 'UTM Ready' service through Altitude Angel's GuardianUTM presents a range of flexible cost options. The upgrade includes a cost-neutral entry level option, providing scalability and tailored solutions to meet specific requirements. 

The UK continues to lag behind other countries in its adoption of electronic approvals for drone operations and this not only stifles an important emerging industry, but it potentially contributes to additional safety concerns and lost revenues for drone operators.

Joining our UTM Ready programme is a straightforward process. The entry-level service equips facilities with all the essential tools to establish their own U-Space compliant digital drone flight approval capability. Additionally, it offers optional features such as enhanced situation awareness visualisations, integration with drone surveillance sensors or networks, setup automation workflows, and the ability to establish administration fees and charges where permitted. This comprehensive package enables organisations to tailor their capabilities according to their specific needs and requirements, ensuring a seamless and efficient integration into the UTM ecosystem.

In theory, yes.  Currently, no other UTM systems accept digital approval requests from external sources. However, Altitude Angel is taking proactive steps to promote positive change in this regard. By allowing any software vendor, including potential competitors, to issue flight requests via the Altitude Angel API, together we are demonstrating a commitment to fostering openness, collaboration, and the advancement of the drone industry as a whole. This approach can encourage other UTMs to follow suit and embrace interoperability, ultimately benefiting the entire drone ecosystem and its stakeholders. 

Becoming UTM Ready means that you’ve deployed services necessary to interact digitally with drone pilots, using online tools specifically designed to minimise your workload, and those of the drone operator, while offering an improved customer and safety experience to everyone.  

The quickest way to become UTM Ready is to subscribe to the GuardianUTM solution, which will automatically turn off the inbound emails generated by drone operators requesting to fly, and instead direct them to an easy-to-use online operations manager platform.   

We offer a range of flexible plans tailored to accommodate a tailored set of requirements. Our most affordable option requires no initial financial commitment and is specifically available to facilities that are either already implementing or planning to set up charging for administering approval requests from drone pilots.

GuardianUTM is designed to facilitate seamless integration with CounterUAS vendors, enabling the display of UAS detections on the real-time Situation Awareness map included on the platform. By combining these detections with the knowledge of approvals, our system can accurately indicate risk levels, ensuring a comprehensive and informed understanding of the airspace situation. 

We have established numerous integrations with various CounterUAS manufacturers, providing a wide array of options for our users. For vendors not currently integrated, the process typically only takes 1-2 weeks for the vendor to establish the integration and pass our tests. If you are interested in knowing whether your vendor is on our Approved List or to explore potential integrations, please don't hesitate to contact us.