News Room
Stay up to date with the latest milestones and achievements. On the news page, Astral Aviation Consulting spotlights growing partnerships and the newest contracts awarded to our team.
December 24
Astral Aviation Consulting Awarded Contract with Draken
London, December 9, 2024 Astral Aviation Consulting (AAC) has been awarded a contract with Draken to regulatory support to their ongoing work in providing their Red Air and Electronic Attack training and support services.
Chris Kidd, Managing Director of AAC, commented on the new partnership: “I am excited to be involved with such a well-established and experienced team at Draken. AAC looks forward to supporting their development and growth.”
Founded in 2020 by Chris Kidd, a former military fighter pilot and ex-CAA regulator, AAC is a trusted provider of civil and military aviation safety and regulatory expertise, services, and support to both UK and international clients.
Draken, known for its excellence in defence training and support, offers the most accurate and advanced readiness training in the industry. Their services include adversarial support, electronic attack, and customised rotary-wing training, provided across the UK, US, and NATO countries.
Draken's vast, differentiated fleet, cutting-edge hardware, and experienced instructors are engaged to help missions succeed. Draken's mission is to prepare clients for combat, search and rescue operations, and to ensure aircraft are maintained in top condition.
This contract with ACC will ensure that Draken continue their ambitious growth plans and support for their existing and future customers both nationally and globally.
June 24
New Contract
Astral Aviation Consulting is excited to have been awarded a contract with an Oxford-based company to support its application for an Air Operators Certificate.
Astral Aviation Consulting was selected to support this project because of our broad regulatory and industry expertise. We were brought in early to help shape and provide rigour around the delivery of this crucial piece of work.
Chris Kidd, MD of AAC, said,
“It is exciting to be part of this highly experienced team that has identified a gap in the market for their services. Working together, we will be able to deliver a unique and much-needed solution that will expand with market demand. The aim is to start commercial operations later this year, and AAC is a proud partner in this journey.”
April 24
Astral Aviation Consulting is delighted to have been awarded a contract to support Osprey Aviation LLC in converting their existing aircraft to a new 2 Reg Air Operator Certificate.
This air operator certificate (AOC) will bring Osprey under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) umbrella, which will benefit the company by harmonising regulations and ensuring high safety standards.
Osprey, therefore, should be allowed to be more dynamic in its executive charter and medivac operations while continuing to deliver a high level of service and excellence to its clients.
Jamie Lenox, founder and MD of Osprey, said, “I am delighted to have Chris and the team on board; their experience and knowledge in this area will be key in supporting Osprey’s growth and helping us serve our customers globally and throughout Asia.”
April 24
Astral Aviation Consulting Ltd (AAC) has been awarded a contract by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) to provide general aviation (GA) safety promotion commencing 1 April 2024.
For the past three years, AAC has successfully delivered an extensive campaign on behalf of the CAA General Aviation Unit (GAU). This campaign provides a cost-effective and efficient safety promotion and education service to pilots across the general aviation sector to support existing work led by the GAU and Communications teams.
Following a thorough internal procurement process involving reviews of written proposals and formal presentations, Astral Aviation Consulting came out on top again and was awarded the contract for a second time, which will see AAC continue to deliver until 2027.
With a strategic data-led approach combined with an understanding of behavioural change, the campaign was described as being ‘supercharged’. It centres on a series of themed live workshops with immediate replays and many other assets hosted on the AAC website ‘GA Safety Hub’. Working with experienced and new pilots and other aviation experts, a peer-to-peer learning approach was key to the successful tender.
Chris Kidd, Managing Director, said,
“Astral Aviation Consulting is delighted to have been awarded the contract for a second term despite stiff competition.
By partnering with the CAA on this important safety project, we want to continue the successful delivery of our promotion and education campaign, enabling the GA community to contribute to the wider safety discussion.
We look forward to engaging with the community and facilitating dialogue on current and future challenges surrounding the safety of General Aviation.”
Workshop Replays
We’ve included a few tasters of our workshops below. For all the videos, visit the workshop replays page. Or check out Astral Aviation TV, our YouTube Channel.
Winter Weather Workshop
How can winter weather impact you as a pilot? Join guest presenters Simon Keeling (weather school) and Darren Hardy (Met Office) for a 90-minute refresher on all things winter weather.
Being Safe Around the Airfield Workshop
What does being safe around the airfield mean to you? Watch our workshop replay to hear from our team.
Radiotelephony 2 Workshop
Our radiotelephony workshops always prove popular. What questions would you have for the next time we have an RT workshop?
Take Off and Landing Workshop
We discuss the correct techniques needed for take-off and landing and some key factors you might want to consider when approaching each.
Beyond the PPL
Join guest presenters Matt Lane and Nigel Willson to examine what is available for pilots once they’ve gained the PPL or LAPL.
EFATOs - Engine Failure After Take Off
Join the team to discuss what to do in the event of an Engine Failure After Takeoff and get some top tips on staying safe.
Practice Forced Landing
Explore the nuances of Practice Forced Landings (PFLs), how to handle them, what examiners look for on tests and get some top tips from the team.
Learning to Fly
Eexplore a topic close to all our hearts: Learning to Fly. Get some insight into how to go about it and what it entails, and get some top tips for those already learning.
Defensive Flying PPL
Covering route selection, GNSS, getting the best out of electronic conspicuity aids, joining and departing the airfield and how to best conduct a personal debrief.
Practice Forced Landings
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel to explore the nuances of Practice Forced Landings (PFLs), how to handle them, what examiners look for on tests and get some top tips from the team.
Beyond the PPL
Join guest presenters Matt Lane and Nigel Willson to look at what is available once pilots gain the PPL or LAPL.
Winter Weather
Join us for a session on winter weather, where we’ll be joined by Weather School’s Simon Keeling and Joanna Aston from the CAA.
Transiting Controlled Airspace
Come along and learn all you need to know about transiting UK controlled airspace, with guest presenter Darren Lewington from Eagle Flight Training. Darren was previously the Senior Air Traffic Control Officer, Operations Director and Accountable Manager at Gloucestershire Airport.
Tech Workshop
Sign up is now open for our next workshop, which will focus on all things tech, including Skydemon, Garmin EFIS and electronic conspicuity. The workshop will cover use and top tips.
General Aviation Drop-in Clinic
Come along and ask your questions to our panel of examiners and instructors. This session is suitable for SEP, MEP and PPL(H) students and qualified pilots.
Workshop: Skill Fade
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel to discuss Skill Fade in this hour-long interactive workshop.
Radiotelephony (RT) Workshop
Join Chris, Matt and Nigel Willson as they talk through radiotelephony. They will provide some top tips as well as highlighting some pitfalls. This workshop is a refresher for more experienced pilots as well as being suitable for those who are still learning.
Clouds for Pilots: Sky Watching
Dr Simon Keeling and MET technical officer Jo Aston will join us for this interactive workshop.
Just Culture
Join Chris and special guests Dr Sarah Flaherty, Chris Mason and Ian Seager to discuss Just Culture within the CAA and how that relates to GA flying. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Top Tips for a Successful PPL Examination Flight
Join Chris and Matt and to find out what the top tips are to help you pass your next PPL Examination Flight. Suitable for student pilots and as a refresher for experienced pilots alike, come along and get involved. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Arrivals and Departures + Radiotelephony (RT)
Join Chris and Matt to discuss best practices for arrivals and departures, as well as the associated radio telephony. They will provide some recommended topics for revision and also, some practical advice on what pitfalls are out there and how to avoid them. This interactive session will get you thinking about your preparation and planning, along with workcycles. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Planning Day Trips - a Pilot’s Weather Guide
Join Chris and Matt and Simon Keeling for weather workshop on planning the perfect day trip. The trio will go through some of the planning and prep involved, as well as talking through a range of other considerations. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section at the end.
Emergency Handling Workshop
Join Chris, Matt, and guest Steve Slater (Head of the LAA) for an extra special workshop on emergency handling. They'll discuss practical tips for various scenarios and discuss times when they've had to handle emergencies themselves. There will be opportunities to interact throughout, as well as a designated Q&A section.
GA Reporting: Mythbusting
Join Chris, Matt and Steve Forward (Director Aviation at CHIRP) to discuss GA reporting, as well as how you can report to help other pilots. They'll provide some practical advice on the types of reports out there and how to complete them before moving on to discuss confidentiality, what reports are used for and why reporting is so important.
Return to Flying
Join Chris and Matt to discuss Returning to Flight and what you can do to give yourself the best start to the flying season after the winter months.
Human Factors for General Aviation (GA) Pilots
Join Chris, Matt and Katy Lee to discuss Human Factors and how they affect us as General Aviation pilots.
