‘Fresh safety debate needed’ after study finds drones 100x less likely to go AWOL

A LEADING drone provider has called for a “fresh debate” around flight restrictions, after new independent research suggested the risk of the craft going AWOL was significantly lower than regulators previously believed.

The whitepaper, published by the Dutch Association of Certified RPAS Operators (DCRO), found the chances of a flyaway – or the drone leaving the operational area – are both 100 times smaller than existing estimates.

The report was based on real-world data collected since 2011. It included 1.4m hours of flight logs from skilled operators, alongside evidence supplied by the world’s leading drone manufacturer, DJI.

“The findings reinforce what many in the drone industry have long-known,” said Michael Smith, head of operations at heliguy.

“When a drone is operated by a skilled, experienced pilot the risk of a mishap is miniscule. Plus if the risk of a flyaway has shrunk considerably, then so does the risk that a major malfunction like that could endanger the public or property, This report should spark a fresh debate around further easing restrictions for experienced and capable drone pilots”

The whitepaper found that a flyaway – when the drone loses communication with its controller – occurred on average once in every 1 million hours.

Current guidelines published by the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS) estimate that it is closer to one in every 10,000 hours.

Additionally, the odds of a drone leaving the operational area was approximately one in 100,000 flight hours – not the one in 1,000 hour figure currently indicated in the same guidelines.

DJI’s Enterprise drones, typically larger UAVs capable of being used for everything from delivering packages to carrying out security patrols, were also found to be far less likely to stray out of bounds.

And the paper states there is “clear consensus” from both operators and manufacturers that the current figure is too conservative, particularly among professional, experienced operators who the body feels should face less restrictions.

“We believe that the current containment requirements for ground risk are disproportionate,”
states the DCRO in the report.

Currently, drone pilots in Britain must operate under rules imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

These include restrictions on how high a drone can fly and how near it can approach buildings and infrastructure. Additionally, pilots typically must fly within visual line of sight (VLOS) of the drone – meaning they have to be able to see it at all times.

However, heliguy was recently awarded groundbreaking permission by the CAA to stage flights beyond the visual line of sight – meaning the drone could be operated remotely from the firm’s North Shields HQ.

And with manufacturers such as DJI implementing a raft of innovative security measures, such as the Return to Home function which uses pre-recorded GPS coordinates to return a drifting drone to its takeoff point, Michael added there was “growing confidence” around drone safety.

“While more data would be welcome, these findings are reassuring and as drone technology advances, they will only become more secure,” he added.

For more information on heliguy, please visit www.heliguy.com

(image IFYKYN)