New drone testing centre opens near Aylesbury which could transform aviation

A new drone testing centre has been launched from a well-known Aylesbury Vale business park.

Westcott Venture Park has announced today (18 January) it has opened a new drone testing area at its site.

Westcott’s owner PATRIZIA Hanover Property Unit Trust has agreed a lease with the Satellite Applications Catapult for a Drone Test and Development Centre.

Money for the project was generated by the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP).

Companies will be using three large workshops to design, build, test and operate advanced remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft or drones.

Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) work can be carried out at Wescott, a crucial element of creating safe airborne technology.

A former Royal Air Force runway will be used to test out take-offs.

Nigel MacKenzie, development manager at Westcott said: “We are thrilled to support this innovative project bringing yet another heritage area of the site back into use and extending the test capabilities at Westcott into the exciting field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

“Westcott is already home to a number of pioneering drone testing companies and these new facilities will benefit existing onsite occupiers as well as attracting new operators to the site. This will further enhance the ever-growing ecosystem of technology companies at Westcott and allow them to work collaboratively to undertake research and development of market-leading aviation technologies and services.”

Award-winning company, Flare Bright, is one of many drone companies already using the centre, Airspeed Electronics and Nexus Nine also create products at Westcott.

Kieran Arnold, chief architect of Future networks and systems at satellite applications catapult, said: “The UK is fairly limited on what we call a ‘segregated facility’. A lot of drone operations are either done from general aviation airfields, or from farmer’s fields, with no facilities whatsoever. The Catapult’s new facility will provide drone companies with a purpose-built, secure environment, which segregates them from the restrictions that normally occur when you’re in a contended aviation environment.”

John Rippon, Programme Manager of Bucks LEP added: said: “The new Drone Test and Development Centre will help to shape and transform private and commercial aviation over the next decade, so we are proud to provide Getting Building Funds to help established this pioneering new facility.”