As part of its work to enable the safe integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAS) flying Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) the UK CAA has developed an airspace policy concept using Temporary Reserved Areas (TRA) of airspace.
To help test this concept it has launched a regulatory sandbox trial. This is open to individual organisations or consortia working towards BVLOS operations within controlled airspace. Sandbox applicants must be ready to test the policy concept and demonstrate their ability to start trial flights within six months.
The application period for this sandbox will close on 23 May 2023 at 12:00 hours BST.
Applicants will be notified if they have been accepted into the sandbox, approximately seven working days after the closing date.
Only those who are accepted into the sandbox trial will be able to trial a TRA. This is so we can manage it as a controlled exercise working collaboratively with all successful applicants to ensure we can fully prove the concept and the technical enablers required to move the concept forward. Once the sandbox exercise is complete and the policy has been adapted, validated and becomes formal policy, anyone with the appropriate permissions from the CAA will be able to utilise the concept of a TRA.
Full details and how to apply are available in the supporting publication.
Source: Press Release