Partnership will see St Merryn Airfield become Future Flight hub

Open Skies Network has signed a partnership with ASONE Park to develop England’s first DronePort and aviation campus, to support new aviation at St Merryn Aerodrome in north Cornwall.

The partnership builds on the site’s aviation heritage as Cornwall’s first public aerodrome. 

Originally developed as a public aerodrome during the 1930s, the airfield was commandeered by the Admiralty in 1937, As HMS Vulture, it provided the Royal Navy’s primary training ground for air combat in WW2, serving as an important training base for many years afterwards. The site was acquired by local farmer Bob Partridge in 1967, under whose ownership it became the UK’s main gyrocopter training base. The 130 acre site is now being developed by his family into a mixed-use digital hub to support the region’s creative, film and music industries. ASONE Park has ambitious £140 million redevelopment plans to build and run a world-class creative centre. On site elements include a set of film studios, a live-work Village and Hotel, an Outdoor Events and Live Venue, a Performance Village and Aviation Hub, as well as four film and sound stages and a Heritage District and Visitor hub.

In the first stage of the ASONE Park development, the partnership will see the St Merryn Aerodrome at ASONE Park joining the Open Skies Network, providing a new destination for New Aviation Technologies in Cornwall. In line with the ASONE Park masterplan, Open Skies Network will lead development of an aviation campus on site, establishing a DronePort to support future eVTOL (electric vertical take off and landing) and eSTOL (electric short take off and landing) piloted aircraft. 

The goal is to create a multi-use aviation environment where existing traditional aviation and emerging technologies can operate together, safely and efficiently preserving heritage whilst attracting new skills and capability to the site.

Gareth Whatmore, CEO of Open Skies Network, said: “We are really excited to announce this partnership, which will position Open Skies Network at ASONE Park as a centre for next-generation aviation technologies. Cornwall is already home to several growing aerospace and space clusters, including activity around Newquay Airport and Spaceport Cornwall. St Merryn Aerodrome will complement these initiatives; providing additional testing, development and operational capacity for future aviation services, such as the drone delivery service we are currently developing for the NHS between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Plans for the campus include installing themed infrastructure to support new aviation platforms – such as drones and electric aircraft – to operate commercially, or at High Technology Readiness Level (TRL) tests, within the medical, logistics, search and rescue, agricultural, environmental monitoring and creative industries sectors. The Open Skies team has already developed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities in the region and is now working with the Civil Aviation Authority to connect the St Merryn site to its wider network. 

Rob Simpson, Director at ASONE Park, said: “We are delighted that Open Skies Network has agreed to lead development of the aviation campus at ASONE Park. It’s work opening up the skies to support the next generation of aviation technologies continues St Merryn Aerodrome’s long history of aviation innovation and promises, not only to add value for the aviation industry itself, but also to create a unique capability proposition for the park.  

“We look forward to working closely with the team to deliver our shared vision of a park that is a genuine hub for aviation, technology and innovation, building on Cornwall’s growing reputation as a centre for the aerospace and creative industries, and bringing new, high-value jobs to the area.”

Open Skies Network will help enable all forms of new aviation at the airfield, including civilian uncrewed aircraft systems (drones),  eVTOL and eSTOL aircraft, and  other emerging aviation technologies. The partnership will help create the infrastructure, operational frameworks and partnerships needed to support activities for TRL test and evaluation, training, and future commercial operation and adoption. 

The aviation campus offers a range of opportunities for aerospace companies, drone and eVTOL developers, universities and research institutions, technology start up, and logistics and aviation service providers alike, and is open to enquiries for future aviation activity including short- and long-term aviation operations, research and development programmes, flight testing and demonstration activities, manufacturing and assembly, technology trials and innovation projects, training and operational support.