Drone Danger – Accidents Waiting to Happen

Drone Danger – Accidents Waiting to Happen

צילום: Geraldton Guardian

This post is also available in: heעברית (Hebrew)

Photo: Geraldton Guardian
Photo: Geraldton Guardian

Drones have been expanding into the civilian world for a while now, and many private operators enjoy piloting them – but there are dangers. Australia’s aviation authorities are faced with growing numbers of private unmanned aerial vehicles, flying over cities and putting residents at risk.

According to Jason Om’s sUAS report Australia’s civilian aviation authority, CASA, warned more than a hundred UAV operators against breaking safety regulations. CASA recently launched a public campaign dealing with this issue.

Recently there have been a number of accidents: Athlete Raija Ogden, for example, was hit by a low-flying UAV while participating in a triathlon in Geraldton. Another case involved a rescue plane, piloted by Kevin Ratcliffe, colliding with a UAV while on a mission.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

AUS&R-2014  650x80

According to Australian law UAVs can’t be operated less than 30 meters away from people, cars or buildings, and they can’t fly at an altitude of less than 400 feet. CASA’s safety chief John McCormick criticized the fact that everyone can easily purchase their own UAVs, often without any instruction manual attached. “We can’t monitor all UAV operators in real time,” he said.

An Australian union of UAV operators has been calling for more robust legislation and additional public education dealing with the matter, since many youths operate UAVs as a hobby or sport. Union chairman, Joe Urli, said that a collision between manned and unmanned aircraft could lead to a major disaster, especially if it happened over a populated area.