Sharing UK trials learning to accelerate lifesaving BVLOS drone operations

Lifesaving beyond sight

Executive Summary

Drones hold immense potential to transform emergency response by enhancing situational awareness, locating missing persons, and delivering critical equipment. However, realising these capabilities at scale in the UK holds immense challenges.

This paper aims to accelerate our shared journey to routine, lifesaving Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations, achieving this faster and with less. It focuses around eight case studies of leading UK projects, offering valuable lessons to accelerate routine, lifesaving BVLOS operations, building from extensive collaboration within the Thunderbird community and our October 2024 steering committee.

Through this learning the community highlighted ten priority themes forward, with three strategic focuses into 2025:

  1. Emergency risk balance

  2. Public engagement

  3. Inter-agency co-ordination

The Thunderbird community will refine these themes into clear 2025 goals, fostering further innovation and collaboration in emergency drone operations.

Download the paper now and accelerate lifesaving.