UK’s CAA issues stronger guidance on drones
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has urged drone users to be more aware of the rules and regulations surrounding the flying of their craft – following a number of near-misses with aircraft at Heathrow and other locations. “Drone users must understand that when taking to the skies they are entering one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world,” said Tim Johnson, director of policy at the CAA, in a statement.
Johnson added that recklessly endangering an aircraft is a criminal offence and those convicted could face a five-year jail sentence.
The CAA’s warning was sparked by a recent incident at Heathrow, when an Airbus A320’s wing passed just 6m below a hovering drone. The authority said it had recorded six other incidents between May 2014 and March 2015 at airports around the UK in which drones and piloted craft almost collided.
Concerns have also been raised in other European countries. On Monday (20 July), a drone came within 330 feet of a Lufthansa plane making its final approach to Warsaw International Airport.
The plane, which was traveling from Munich to Warsaw, was about 2,500 feet in the air at the time, according to the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA).
The CAA safety code says that recreational drone owners should keep their craft within their line of sight and not fly higher than 122m.
The code also says that drones carrying cameras must stay at least 50m away from people, vehicles and structures and must not approach a large group of people closer than 150m. It also stipulates that, for recreation drone users, “it is illegal to fly your unmanned aircraft over a congested area (streets, towns and cities)”.
Anyone intending to use an drone for “any kind of commercial activity” must get a Permission from the CAA.
Click here to view the CAA guidance on using drones.
Despite the public concern over potential safety issues, using drones to make parcel deliveries remains an enticing prospect for many in the logistics industry. As Post&Parcel reported last week, the first US Federal Aviation Administration-approved flight for a commercial drone carrying a parcel took place on Friday (17 July) in Wise County, Virginia.
