Breaking down barriers for future flight with local authorities and industry

AAM4Gov is the new drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) learning resource for industry, local authority officers, elected councillors and other community stakeholders. The programme will help to educate and inform local authorities about developing future flight technologies and services, helping to equip them with the skills and expertise to start integrating drones and AAM into their operations and transport planning. The programme also provides businesses across the drone and AAM sectors with resources to better understand how to engage with local authorities, in terms of procurement and understanding the priorities of councils. The educational modules offer a variety of topics ranging from legal, regulatory and economic issues, as well as the best ways to engage with the public when discussing future flight technologies.

The courses, available at no cost, have been funded by the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge and developed with the support of ARPAS-UK, the UK’s drone trade association, in partnership with Urban Air Mobility News, and have been validated by a range of industry experts and regulatory bodies.

Local authorities are vital stakeholders in this industry, yet only a handful are fully engaged in the process of working with AAM operators to balance the needs of their communities with the benefits these new technologies can bring. We have highlighted the statutory responsibilities which can be supported by wider use of drones – helping to save lives, reduce costs while improving air quality and initiatives aimed at reaching net zero harmful emissions.

– Philip Butterworth-Hayes, AAM4Gov Editorial Director

Close collaboration between the aviation industry and local authorities is fundamental for the adoption of drones and AAM that can better serve urban and rural areas. These tailored training resources play a pivotal role in equipping key stakeholders with essential knowledge to address critical aspects of integrating future flight technologies into communities. By bridging knowledge gaps, these resources help pave the way for a smoother transition of innovative sustainable transport solutions across the UK.

– Kerissa Khan, Co-Chair, Future Flight Community Integration Group

The AAM4Gov programme courses will be available either as ‘solo’ versions, or interactively as online groups with support from industry experts, and cover topics including:

• An introduction to Advanced Air Mobility and Urban Air Mobility
• Community benefits of drones and eVTOLs
• Drone security
• AAM And the law
• AAM policy making
• Local government explained
• Blue-light services
• Transport planning and infrastructure
• How councils are using drones
• Airfield and aerodrome development opportunities
• Drone and AAM impact concerns and public consultation

About the Future Flight Challenge

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge is a £300 million programme, co-funded by government and industry, that is supporting the creation of the aviation ecosystem needed to accelerate the introduction of advanced air mobility (AAM), drones, and electric sub-regional aircraft in the UK.

Delivered by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council, the programme works with industry, academia, government, and regulators to transform how we connect people, transport goods, and deliver services in a sustainable way that provides socio-economic benefits using new types of air vehicles with novel technologies.