UK

A UK helicopter ambulance came within a few yards of colliding with a drone as it sought to land at a central London hospital, according to an official incident ruling. The finding ranked the near miss as an A category encounter, or one in which “a definite risk of collision had existed.”

Scores of people were arrested in southern England Sunday after drone-flying police busted revelers at a giant rave violating the country’s continuing COVID-19 restrictions. Footage from the craft showed countless cars parked along roads abutting the pastureland used for the illegal party, aiding them in organizing moves to break it up. 

British telecom operator BT is leading a consortium of businesses prepared to test the UK’s first commercial drone corridor. Dubbed Project XCelerate, the initiative is receiving government backing as part as the country’s push to boost drone-based business delivery, transport, and other services.

Police have released drone footage from last weekend showing a massive, illegal street party in the English city of Nottingham. The party got out of control after it was advertised on social media. It ended with the stabbing of a teenager and police officers getting injured as they tried to treat the victim.

A British jet carrying a UK delegation returning from Brussels had what pilots described as an “extremely close” call with a craft they believe was a drone, according to an official report on the incident.

You’ve heard of the UK’s Great Train Robbery, but how about the Massive UK Garden Heists? It’s a thieving spree currently creating consternation in Britain – and drones are playing part in it.

Police in the UK raided a building in a West Midlands warehousing zone after readings taken by their drone convinced them a large marijuana farm was inside. Instead they found a massive operation illegally mining Bitcoins.

The UK government is backing what it calls the world’s first remotely operated offshore search-and-rescue operation as part of a wider $10 million funding project to boost robotic and automation development.

You don’t have to be a fan of newly crowned English Premier League champion Manchester City (and we aren’t. Go you Gooners!) to be wowed by the dazzling single-take drone fly-through video of the club’s Etihad Stadium. In fact, you don’t even have to like soccer. But try not to be gob-smacked by the world-class piloting in features.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is using drones in tests seeking to jolt rainfall from obstinate cloud cover. The objective: to electrically shock water from rain-retaining skies.

Agriculture spraying drones in the UK are currently being held back by outdated rules and regulations. As a result of this, investment into the sector is also severely limited, holding back advancements and major benefits.

The Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council plans to use drones to fight back against the expected surge in litter after COVID-19 lockdowns finish later this summer. The drones will track the amount of litter and inform workers of the most affected areas.

The Liverpool City Region in the UK is dubbed to become the next testing ground for drone operations, creating jobs for skilled workers and boosting economic growth at the same time. The project has been given the name Phoenix I and will accelerate drone usage around the country.

Network provider O2 is working with drone company Skyfarer to get delivery drones into the air to deliver COVID-19 supplies and blood samples. The two are also working on creating the necessary infrastructure to fly the drones safely.

Research has shown that British police have been using drones to monitor protests and rallies throughout 2020 and likely into the new year. Drone Watch was able to gather information on police usage of drones around the UK from January to October 2020.

Four years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, drones are being used to inspect other towers in the UK to ensure the cladding is safe or removed if not. The drones have been able to speed up inspection times and drastically lower costs.

According to military personal, a UK cyber operation aimed at disabling ISIS drones, soldiers’ phones, and servers has been a success. The news came just two months after Boris Johnson announced the Cyber Force operated by the military and spy agencies.

Urban-Air Port has announced plans to begin building the world’s first delivery and passenger drone airport before the end of this year. The announcement was made after it was announced the winner of the UK’s Future Flight Challenge to develop infrastructure for the future of urban air mobility.

The UK’s Royal Navy has been experimenting with its Puma drone onboard the HMS Tamar in preparation for its first deployment this summer. The drone is expected to take on some of the reconnaissance and intelligence gathering normally done by helicopters.

On New Year’s Eve, London introduced drones to its fireworks display for the first time. We watched it and loved it so much that we shared it with all of you. We have put together a short exclusive piece on the show’s inner workings with the help of the company behind the drones, SKYMAGIC.

A man from Perth, Scotland, has been jailed for six months after being paid to fly phones into a maximum-security prison by drone. He reportedly crashed the drone before it was able to deliver the devices into HMP Edinburgh.