The rise and rise of drones has raised not a few issues about how well we govern our skies.
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ON one hand the governing body CASA is trying its best to administer once tightly controlled airspace that has increasingly strayed into the world of the hobby flyer. Readily available drones mean the space above our heads is now open to almost anybody who pops into Aldi with a few hundred dollars. No doubt many of these amateur fun fliers will greet the prospect of the increased regulation with howls of nanny state but it must be admitted the same set of safety rules already apply to other spaces; the road or open water. The problem is despite being sold as such, they are not toys and in this “free-range canopy” the community approaches flight largely from a point of ignorance.
This week in the senate some politicians worked themselves into lather over the seeming lag between the regulation and the practice. Coalition backbencher Barry O'Sullivan who estimates there are 50,000 of them up there already wants the sale of drones frozen until regulations are in place. According to him it's only a matter of time before a drone crashes into a plane if nothing is done. Civil Aviation Safety Authority has played down the risks despite an ATSB report in March saying there had 180 near encounters to date and is still months away from finalising its terms of reference.
But the danger maybe far simpler and closer to home. If a two kilogram object were to fall from 100 metres it would have an impact speed of up to 160km/h, or in other terms it could be like being hit in the head by something much heavier and faster than a cricket ball.
To meet these risks last September CASA release a host of regulations. For a sub-2kg craft to fly without the need for an approval or licence it must be operated in daytime, within visual line of sight of the pilot to be classified as low risk. It cannot be flown over populous areas and must be kept at least 30 metres from other people. It cannot be flown greater than 130m above ground and it must not be flown within 5.5km of a controlled airport. This takes in a lot of Ballarat when you check the map.
Of course registered and licensed operators know all this, learning it when they qualify and pay for the privilege but for impulse buying enthusiasts it is probably another matter altogether. Sounds like an education campaign could be a good starting point.