The Aerodrome, a partnership formed by Base 11 and Praxis Aerospace Concepts International (PACI), has developed the invitation-only Preferred Partner Network (PPN), inviting a limited number of companies in each of a variety of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) related segments.

PPN, which is a network of like-minded companies that desire to provide world-class service to their customers, requires no minimum requirement to purchase services and no minimum referral.

However, network partner companies, through peer reviews, expects to collaborate on the future partners and the needs of the network to insure that desired companies actively participate in PPN.

"The UAS industry has many suppliers who lack the expert knowledge and experience needed to provide adequate advice."

This will, by nature, lead to the use of services and cross referral of business.

With PPN, Aerodrome aims to provide assurance to the best possible products and services, in order to fulfil client needs, and high-quality business opportunities to participating network providers.

Claimed to be the world’s first commercial droneport and teaching facility provider, Aerodrome will serve as network administrator and lead partner for UAS training for the PPN.

Other segments invited to join PPN include platform distributors, parts distributors, consultants, custom design / modification fabrication experts, marketing, administrative /legal, accounting, and other industry related experts.

Aerodrome president Jonathan Daniels said: "Any industry going through early stage development has its challenges.

"The UAS industry has many suppliers who lack the expert knowledge and experience needed to provide adequate advice on what, when, and how to implement the technology.

"In many cases, a customer will make the wrong choice of hardware, software, training, etc, ending with a bad experience or worse, an early adopter abandoning any further consideration for UAS as a tool. Poor choices and confusion have derailed entire programmes. This is why we created the Preferred Partner Network."

The company will mainly provide some specific benefits to the network; discounts on facilities / equipment rental, discount and / or referral fees for training efforts per student referral or group, discounts on consulting fees, and discounts on customised course offerings based on client needs.

Further, referrals of network products or services will be provided by acting as primary contact for clients working to insure smooth transition and pull-through of business.

The benefit also includes ‘Most favoured client’ discounts, in which Aerodrome expects to provide to Preferred Partner customers, at minimum, the lowest advertised price in the market for any service purchased through the network.