Applying to Use the Facility

Overview of Access Routes

There are a variety of pathways, or “access routes”, for users to access the FAAM facility. The right access route for you will depend on your funding source, how your project will fit with others planned, your type of research, and your experience using the facility:

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Research Grants provide access to the FAAM Airborne Laboratory via funding obtained through grants, as outlined in the NERC research grants and fellowships handbook.
Operational Partnerships can offer a way to access FAAM Airborne Laboratory flight hours and support services for researchers from organisations aligned to NERC
Commercial users and researchers who do not meet the Operational Partnerships criteria can access the FAAM Airborne Laboratory at a rate reflecting the full economic cost of operating the facility
FAAM Testing Hours provide opportunities for researchers to make use of FAAM Airborne Laboratory test flying hours, and these tend to be appropriate for science projects that require one or two flights
Research Runway is aimed at early career researchers and new users, allowing them to take advantage of the FAAM Airborne Laboratory by providing flying hours for small-scale, stand-alone projects. This scheme is not open at all times, and you can sign up to receive a notification when it is open here.

The decision tree shown below can be used as a guide to the likely access routes that may suit a given situation. Further details of each access route are given in the following sections. We are happy to help with any queries you might have about access: if you would like to discuss your project, please email faam@ncas.ac.uk. It’s best to get in touch as early as possible in your planning process so that we can provide support and guidance to help you understand the costs involved, and tailor our services to your needs.

Access Routes

NERC Research Grants

FAAM primarily services scientists working in UK universities who are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), so this is the access route used by most FAAM users. To apply via a NERC Research Grant, you will need to start the process by contacting the FAAM Operations Manager (faamops@ncas.ac.uk) at least 6 months before the relevant NERC proposal submission deadline, and at least 18 (ideally 24) months before the proposed start of flying. Early contact allows us to share information on timetabling, technical details, and costs.

After initial discussions, we will advise you on whether you need to submit an outline or full FAAM Application Form to NERC and will support you in completing the required form. Your proposal will allow us to further evaluate and document the project feasibility and costs, in a process that takes at least four weeks. You will need the resulting FAAM Technical Assessment (and cost estimate), signed by the Head of FAAM, before applying to NERC, and costs of the proposed use of FAAM should be included within your application to NERC.

If the proposal is approved, the detailed planning phase of the project will begin, typically 12-24 months before the start of a project, depending on its scope and complexity. Operational and technical planning will be done by the FAAM team, closely involving the Principal Investigator and aircraft operator Airtask, including any engineering work required by the proposal.

NERC research proposals are subject to processes outlined in the NERC research grants and fellowships handbook.

Costs

NERC-funded user costs are limited to marginal costs - often referred to as “superstructure” costs - those over and above the ongoing NERC investment in providing the aircraft in a ready-to-go state at Cranfield Airport. Fuel and other similar costs do not need to be considered as they are included in this ready-to-go reckoning. Superstructure costs that users need to include in a grant application are dependent on where the project will be based.

Cranfield-based projects

For projects based at Cranfield, examples of superstructure costs would be out-of-hours operational support and airport handling fees associated with refuelling elsewhere. Additional costs to consider would be travel and subsistence allowances for external staff and shipping of external equipment. Cranfield-based flying can therefore be supported by NERC for very modest grant costs.

As an example, the approximate superstructure costs associated with a project of 100 hours of science flying from Cranfield could be as follows:

Item	Example Cost
Airport Operations	£3,000
Sondes	£1,000 per sonde
Engineering	£1,000
Logistics	£500
Operator Overheads	£8,000
Total	£12,500 + sondes

Projects based away from Cranfield

For projects based away from Cranfield, examples of superstructure costs include hotels, staff transit and transport, communications, hangar space, subsistence and operating staff overheads. Paragraph 17 of the NERC research grants and fellowships handbook provides an exception to the limit on standard grant funding: where FAAM facility costs take the proposal budget above the standard limit, there is a mechanism whereby this can be accommodated without putting the application above the cost limit for a standard grant.

As an example, the approximate superstructure costs associated with a project of 100 hours of science flying within the UK but based away from Cranfield could be as follows:

Item	Example Cost
Travel and Subsistence (FAAM, Airtask, Avalon)	£100,000
Airport Operations	£80,000
Sondes	£1,000 per sonde
Engineering	£2,000
Logistics	£10,000
Operator Overheads	£90,000
Total	£282,000 + sondes

As a further example, the approximate superstructure costs associated with a project of 100 hours of science flying overseas could be as follows:

Item	Example Cost
Travel and Subsistence (FAAM, Airtask, Avalon)	£150,000
Airport Operations	£120,000
Sondes	£1,000 per sonde
Engineering	£5,000
Logistics	£35,000
Operator Overheads	£120,000
Total	£430,000 + sondes

The examples given above should be treated with some caution owing to the highly bespoke nature of project costs depending on the proposed activity.

Operational Partnerships

The Operational Partnerships access route is designed for researchers from organisations aligned to NERC [1]. We want as many people as possible to be able to make use of the FAAM Airborne Laboratory, including those from organisations not eligible to apply directly to NERC, so we have developed this access route to optimise its use. As well as offering a straightforward mechanism that researchers in the UK and abroad can use to include airborne research in their work, we hope to maximise the efficiency and scientific impact of our flying.

An Operational Partnership is a temporary partnering arrangement based on operational availability: researchers can apply to use the aircraft alongside existing projects when they’re in the right place at the right time for them, whilst not compromising existing funded projects. It allows them to make use of the facility by identifying synergies with existing FAAM projects, with resulting costs lower than the full economic rate.

For example, a publicly-funded body interested in making land-use measurements identifies an existing, funded FAAM project making cloud measurements over their location of interest. That organisation applies to become an Operational Partner so that they can fly and collect data on some of those planned flights. As another example, an EU-funded centre interested in measuring the effects of wind farms identifies a period of Cranfield-based flying in the FAAM calendar at a time of year that meets their needs. They need to install some equipment on the aircraft, which requires a separate, parallel application process. They apply to become an Operational Partner so that they can slot in their own flights around the already-planned Cranfield flights.

Access to the aircraft for an operational partner is charged at a baseline rate per hour, covering operational costs and a small contribution to facility upkeep, with fuel costs incurred additionally if appropriate. Additional costs may also be incurred for airport operations, sondes, logistics, and operator overheads; these will be determined once your application has been approved. The Operational Partnership access route does not include a mechanism to cover engineering costs or certification costs for new kits, which need to be addressed separately if required.

The application process is broadly as follows:

Potential Operational Partner contacts FAAM to express interest in an opportunity as early as possible (ideally 18-24 months before the start of any proposed flying)
FAAM assesses whether a potential Operational Partner meets baseline criteria
FAAM discusses feasibility with Principal Investigator(s) of an existing planned project
FAAM provides applicant/s with approximate costs
Potential Operational Partner makes formal application using New Operational Partnership Project Application Form and submits a FAAM Application Form, with the assistance of FAAM’s Science Partnerships Lead if required. FAAM does not generally have a role in assessing the quality of the science being proposed; the assessment is done to understand the practical feasibility and alignment with NERC
FAAM/NERC accepts feasibility and assesses scheduling, application, funding and capacity
The applicant/s will be notified of the outcome of the assessment and provided with a full quote

If the proposal is approved, the detailed planning phase of the project will begin, typically 12-24 months before the start of a project, depending on its scope and complexity. Operational and technical planning will be done by FAAM, closely involving the Operational Partner, the Principal Investigator of the existing project, and aircraft operator Airtask, including any engineering work required alongside the proposal.

To view our flying plans, please visit our calendar. For more information and to discuss your ideas, please contact FAAM’s Science Partnerships Lead (faam@ncas.ac.uk).

Full Economic Cost

FAAM primarily exists to serve scientists eligible for NERC funding (i.e. those residing in the UK and employed by an eligible UK research organisation). However, we can also provide access to organisations and users who don’t meet this requirement in some circumstances. Access for these users must be scheduled alongside existing commitments.

Commercial customers may require a signature of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before sharing technical information with FAAM. In such cases, the NDA will initially be with the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Leeds, and information will initially be restricted to a small core of suitably cleared personnel at FAAM. If a task goes ahead subsequently, then derivative NDAs will be put in place with internal partners to ensure task delivery with suitable data confidentiality.

Costs for use of the aircraft will be determined based on the full economic cost of operating the facility and are usually provided at an hourly rate. For reference, the 2024/25 FEC flying rate was approximately £25k per flying hour, plus VAT if applicable. This cost is anticipated to rise over the coming year in line with the increasing costs of running the facility. Any engineering, design and certification costs will be estimated separately to the flying costs. Costs typically will be quoted as an estimate in the first instance, with a fixed price quote available if required. If costs are required for inclusion in a grant application, an estimate can be provided for a defined timescale. Please allow an absolute minimum of 3 months, preferably longer, to produce this.

Testing Hours

FAAM Airborne Laboratory maintains a small number of hours to support instrument testing and to ensure flight crew currency in support of funded projects. We seek to make the best use of these flights and offer access to unfunded users if they can carry out scientific research at the same time as the FAAM team’s needs are met.

Process

If you have an idea for research that could be carried out during an instrument testing or crew currency flight, please submit a brief outline of what you have in mind. If your idea is feasible, we will ask you to submit a sortie brief (a document outlining the step-by-step plans for a science flight) in advance of any potential flying, so that it can be reviewed by operations staff and pilots, and ready to schedule at short notice. Where the facility receives multiple proposals of this type, they will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Typically only one or two flights will be conducted. Please note that we are unable to offer dedicated staff support (e.g. training, helping to create sortie briefs) to users of these testing hours, and new FAAM users may be better supported via our Research Runway scheme.

Costs

FAAM cannot usually provide funding to cover travel costs or costs associated with basing the aircraft at a non-Cranfield location. Users should expect flights within core 11 am to 4 pm hours at Cranfield, with no additional costs (for example, as would be incurred by refuelling at another airport) unless they can provide their own sources of funding.

Research Runway

To help early career researchers (ECRs) and new users access the FAAM Airborne Laboratory’s equipment and expertise, we provide flying hours and support for small-scale, stand-alone projects through the Research Runway scheme. The scheme runs over particular time periods, chosen based on our flying calendar and anticipated capacity. You can sign up to receive an email alert when a new call is announced. Projects should use the existing instrument fit, and consist of up to 10 hours flying on board the FAAM Airborne Laboratory, based out of FAAM’s home base at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, between specified dates. A limited number of hours are available in total. Your project might involve:

Generating preliminary data
Proof-of-concept in advance of applying for a full research grant
Demonstrating the applicability or feasibility of new techniques

The scheme is open to researchers within NERC’s remit, based at organisations eligible to apply for NERC funding. Applications from early career researchers and/or new FAAM users will be prioritised. We define an ECR as a non-independent Postdoctoral Researcher (e.g. a PDRA), an independent Postdoctoral Researcher (e.g. a research fellow) or an individual with a technician background, such as research or instrument technicians currently employed in a research capacity within the UK in an environmental science discipline relevant to NERC’s remit. We define new FAAM users as researchers of any career stage who have previously not been named on a successful grant application to use the FAAM aircraft.

Applicants do not need to be employed on a NERC grant or fellowship. Non-independent researchers and those with a technician background should confirm that their line manager has understood the time commitment required for the project and is willing to make this available.

Contact research-runway@ncas.ac.uk if you have specific questions about the scheme.

Footnotes