National Drone Hub brings innovation to West Cornwall

A FACILITY for testing military and civil drones in Cornwall has become the first in the UK to be accredited by the Civil Aviation Authority.

- WMN REPORTER

The National Drone Hub occupies 320 hectares on the Ministry of Defence-owned airfield at Predannack, near Helston, making it one of the biggest of its kind in Europe.

The facility, run by WholeShip Ltd, which is based at the site, specialises in drones operating beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) and the integration of autonomous aerial vehicles with ships.

Because Cornwall has comparatively little aviation traffic compared to most of the rest of the UK, the site is able to provide access to more than 8,000 sq km of segregated airspace off the south coast between the Lizard and Plymouth, extending from sea level to a height of 55,000 feet.