Altitude Angel to Launch New and Improved Version of Drone Assist App

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology leader Altitude Angel has announced that it will be releasing an updated version of its Drone Assist flight planning tool. The update will bring a suite of new features, including enhanced integrated flight planning, advanced flight plan drawing tools, and approval services via the app.

Drone Assist now features direct connection to Altitude Angel’s UTM platform, providing ‘one-tap flight authorisations’ at connected airports and facilities around the world. The leading flight planning app for both professional and recreational drone pilots, the updated Drone Assist is the cornerstone on which the UK will be able to establish a £40billion drone economy. In the coming months, the company’s existing apps will be phased out in favor of the new update, which will serve as a gateway to a range of U-Space services offered by Altitude Angel and operated by its customers.

“All commercial drone operations start with a plan, and planning should start with Drone Assist, which is why we’ve invested so much in creating an app which can truly enable safe drone flight anywhere,” said Altitude Angel CEO and founder Richard Parker.

The new Drone Assist was developed alongside the drone community, with a beta testing programme featuring more than 400 active contributors, whose feedback informed the app’s design and build. As a result of users requesting enhanced flight planning features to be lifted and prioritized, Drone Assist now lets users plan their flight and submit the plan to the app, to be shared across all of Altitude Angel’s UTM platforms.

Drone Assist also features new ‘pilot profiles’ and aircraft management, granting users the ability to log drone operator profiles, hours flown, and airframe hours used. Other upgrades and new features include new map layers with satellite view, enhanced airspace filter controls, and refreshed user experience and user interface. The new version of Drone Assist will launch on Monday, May 22nd for both iOS and Android.

“We’ve seen through the user numbers, which have increased year-on-year, pilots and operators love Drone Assist. Having brought the app back in-house, we knew what needed to be done to make Drone Assist what we, and its users, whether recreational, commercial, or public safety, really wanted. So, after much design, development, and beta testing, we’re excited and proud to be releasing this updated version,” said Parker. “Now, with the new Drone Assist out there, we have a platform on which drone operators can begin to build businesses and realise the potential of drones, building an industry to change the world.  And this is just the first in a series of new-feature releases we’ll be making as we continue to bring new services and opportunities to airspace users, managers, and landowners across the country and beyond.”

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.