Stephen Ween and Jane Knipe. Drones The flight path from toy shop to research tool

Transcription

1 Stephen Ween and Jane Knipe Drones The flight path from toy shop to research tool

2 Outline We will outline: What a drone is Legislative requirements and responsibilities Summary of requirements and general rules Experimental drones Potential uses Drone/Environmental Hazards and safety considerations Other considerations Incidents Lessons learnt to date

3 What is a Drone? A drone is a remotely piloted aircraft(rpa). The Regulations refer to drones as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Drones can be used for a variety of purposes and are relatively cheap to purchase. However, meeting regulatory requirements can add to the overall cost.

4 Legislative requirements and responsibilities Civil Aviation Act and Regulations 1998 Administered by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), who is responsible for ensuring the safety of all users of airspace and on the ground. Fines apply to people and organisations that do not comply with the CASR.

5 Summary of Requirements 1. All commercial drone pilots need to be licensed. 2. All University of Adelaide activities are considered commercial by CASA. 3. UAV Operator s Certificate - allows those with a licence to use the drone for research - Includes a list of drone that can be used - Uni had to assure CASA we had technical and safety systems 3. Chief Controller

6 General Rules RPAs can only be operated: In visual line of sight (without binoculars or telescope) Below 400 feet above ground level In visual meteorological conditions During the day Generally RPAs cannot be operated: Over populous areas, or Within 3 nautical miles -about 5km -of an aerodrome (i.e. City Campus) In controlled airspace or prohibited areas (i.e Roseworthy which is close to the Edinburgh RAAF base ) Within 30 meters of a person not directly associated with the RPAs operating team.

7 Experimental drones If your workers are working on new designs for UAVs, an Experimental Certificate can be issued by CASA (see Civil Aviation Regulations 1998 Part 21). An Experimental Certificate will allow a developer to build and test a drone.

8 Drone potential uses Potential uses for drones are limited only by the imagination. New drone uses being discovered regularly. Uses include: Ecological surveys Rescue work Farming irrigation & crop surveys Film making and media coverage Wildlife surveys and prevention of poaching Firefighting Environmental sample collection Sporting analysis Crime fighting Inspecting hard to reach items and equipment Artwork Delivery of pizzas and parcels Archaeological surveying Military application

9 Drone Operations Handout

10 Drone/Environmental Hazards and safety considerations Drone hazards include: Chemical Electrical Contact with hot objects Entanglement in moving parts Contact with sharp/fast moving objects Items falling from heights (Notifiable incidents) Noise Human aggression (privacy)

11 Drone/Environmental Hazards and safety considerations Environmental hazards include: Vehicles Boats Pilot visibility Restricted area access Restricted airspace Non-restricted airspace Pilot fatigue Animal aggression Dust Where are we using drones and what will they be used to do?

12 Other Considerations - Privacy Matters Anyone using a drone should consider privacy issues; potentially intrusive activities; the collection of any photographic or video data should not be intrusive of people s privacy and research ethics Insurance cover Indoor use

13 Recent Near Miss Incident: Drone vs People In February 2016, a drone operated by a visitor from NSW crashed at the Australian War Memorial during a last post ceremony. CASA issued a $900 fine as it breached the 30 metre safety requirement. CASA will investigate whether any air space violations occurred, given the War Memorial's proximity to the airport.

14 Drone Incident In 2014, during a triathlon event a competitor was struck by a UAV as she neared the finish line. The licensed pilot was using the drone to take aerial photographs of the event. The pilot experienced an unexplained loss of control and the drone dropped dramatically towards the athlete who had to be treated for head injuries. The pilot was fined $1700 for breaching the 30 metre safety requirement.

15 Drone Equipment Failure - MCG In March 2015, a UAV operating crew (supporting media coverage of the Cricket World Cup Final) lost control of the drone. The drone continued to fly until it crash-landed outside the cricket grounds. Fortunately no passers-by were injured nor property damaged. The crew had conducted a risk assessment and had practised the flight on numerous occasions. There was no evident problem with the hardware or the control system. The most likely cause of the accident was radio frequency interference due to a high volume of radio traffic at the time of the event. Investigation report highlighted the need for all UAV crews to consider what might be different this time during every pre-operation risk assessment.

16 Lessons learnt to date People will try to push the boundaries be conservative on time estimates Legally allowed to fly with 1 pilot, but safer with 2 pilots Incidents more likely when automation features not considered Not just limited to aircraft Driverless cars Remote controlled or AI driven delivery vehicles Ideal to have a central University Drone management team Communication is paramount in gaining buy in.

17 Last Note Changes to legislation expected in September 2016