A message from our MD
Welcome to 2019 and Osprey’s 13th year! In preparation for us becoming a teenager, I researched what we should expect; perhaps the most relevant were:
‘… a computer whiz who can operate any new gadget within seconds but can’t make the bed’.
‘… someone who can’t remember to walk the dog each day but never forgets a phone number they heard once.’
‘…is fully prepared for the zombie apocalypse, but not ready for tomorrow’s maths test.’
and what that tells me is that, while we must constantly evolve and develop to be that retentive computer whiz ready for the zombie apocalypse, we must equally never forget the basics that have served us so well over the past 12 years.
So this ‘near’ teenager is pretty much ready for anything that is likely to be thrown at it and the New Year has certainly begun at a fearsome pace. However, this is a welcome opportunity to step away and reflect on 2018.
Our Airports and Airspace Team had an interesting year getting familiar with CAP1616 through a series of projects both large and small. Initially daunting, the process is now fully embedded across the Team and becoming very much second nature. This will help enormously as the Team look to deliver the substantial airspace projects that we have been entrusted with. They have been equally busy on the airports front, including ongoing support to the Welsh Government in its work to secure a CAA Aerodrome License for St Athan, a major project which would see the re-activation of Manston airport, and individual studies and projects to help airports increase efficiency, resilience and safety.
Twelve months on from announcing our expansion into IFP Design, our Team is in constant demand with airports across the UK and abroad. Winning the large MoD Aeronautical Information Documentation Unit contract (Military Instrument Flight Procedures Maintenance and Safeguarding) gave us the best possible start (and possibly most challenging given the PQQ landed on Day 1 of the Team becoming operational). Not content with one major contract, the team followed it up with a number of similar wins as the year progressed. Seeing the way our designers have bedded in with our Airspace Team has been very satisfying; we can now truly offer our airspace clients a comprehensive end-to-end service.
The ATM Systems team had a very busy year and successfully delivered a number of equipment projects to tight timescale and budgets which we will talk more about in the coming weeks. Of particular note, our drone capability has been increasingly put to the test and never more so than following the events at London Gatwick Airport on the 19-21 December.
Finally, our Platform and Systems Team continue to impress providing outstanding support to military and civil aircraft operators. Pete Symons and his team have demonstrated real versatility in tackling challenges across a very broad spectrum, from military fast jet operations, through the introduction of new types to service and the operation of helicopters in offshore wind farms. Most pleasingly, we are also seeing the high calibre members of this Team managing projects that cut across Osprey’s capabilities; from multi-disciplinary equipment programmes, counter-drone projects and even the nascent UK Space industry.
We start 2019 having won 3 major contracts in the weeks before Christmas, and look forward to providing all of our clients with the same committed service we’ve delivered for the past 12 years, and not a teenage tantrum in sight!
Happy New Year to all.
Jon
