Screen
Confirm that the cargo, geography, timeline and value justify detailed route work.
Operations
The aircraft is ready.
The operation must be proven.
Heavy-lift delivery is built on permission, trained people, controlled sites, maintained equipment and a clear response when the plan changes.
01
MISSION FLOW
Six gates before
a repeatable route.
The first flight is the end of the planning process—not the beginning.
Survey
Inspect both sites, map obstacles and people, check airspace and define the ground-control areas.
Authorise
Build or apply the relevant risk assessment, operating manual and operational-authorisation pathway.
Rehearse
Verify cargo rigging, crew positions, communications, contingencies and abort criteria.
Operate
Brief, inspect, load, fly, monitor, deliver and maintain sterile operating areas.
Record
Log the flight, aircraft state, route evidence, maintenance actions and lessons for repeat operations.
02
OPERATING EVIDENCE
Documents that make
the company operable.
The exact set depends on the approved operation, aircraft and country. These are the core workstreams.
Corporate + operator
Company records, UAS operator registration, accountable roles, data protection, client terms and subcontractor controls.
Operational approval
Concept of operations, SORA or applicable risk assessment, operating manual, compliance evidence and authority decision.
People + competence
Pilot and crew training, role competence, medical fitness where required, currency, recurrent training and duty records.
Aircraft + maintenance
Aircraft records, serials, configuration control, maintenance programme, inspections, defects, batteries and software status.
Mission records
Site survey, airspace check, weather, NOTAMs, payload sheet, risk controls, briefing, flight log and post-flight review.
Occurrence + emergency
Emergency response plan, lost-link and containment procedures, reporting process, investigation and corrective actions.
03
INSURANCE
Cover the aircraft,
the operation and the customer.
Specialist aviation advice is required before trading. The insurance programme normally needs to consider the following layers.
01Aviation third-party + war-risk liabilityEC 785/2004-compliant cover. The under-500 kg band is 0.75 million SDR per accident; contract limits may be higher.
02Cargo liability / goods in transitCAA guidance states 22 SDR per kilogram minimum cargo liability, but customer value, exclusions and contract limits must be agreed.
03Hull and aviation equipmentAircraft, batteries, parachutes, payload systems, controllers, charging and ground equipment.
04Employers' liabilityCompulsory once employing staff, normally at least £5 million from an authorised insurer.
05Public, motor and property liabilityGround operations, vehicles, premises, client sites and non-aviation third-party exposure.
06Professional indemnity + cyberRoute advice, engineering, data, systems, contractual error and security incidents.
04
PRIMARY GUIDANCE
Build the route properly.
LIFTGRID starts with the operating case, not the sales promise.
Start an operational assessment