CAA Drone flying proposal

Drone alert! Have your say.

THE CAA is proposing that drones should be allowed to fly low around buildings and other structures beyond line of sight of the operator.

Inspections of railways, powerlines, farms and roads, and deliveries of emergency medical deliveries, are among the possibilities suggested.

A consultation on allowing drones to fly in what the CAA calls an ‘Atypical Air Environment’, will close on 2 April.

“An Atypical Air Environment can be considered as a volume of airspace where you can reasonably anticipate there to be a reduced number of conventionally piloted aircraft due to the proximity of ground infrastructure,” said a CAA statement.

Kevin Woolsey, the CAA’s Head of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, said: “Our proposals are a positive step towards unlocking the next stage for drone flying in the UK.

“Allowing drones to fly beyond the sight of the remote pilot, without placing restrictions on other aircraft in the area, will be a major achievement for UK drone operations.

“Safety comes first in everything we do, and so we have identified sensible mitigations on where drones can fly using this proposed concept to make sure we maintain levels of safety.

“Operating within an Atypical Air Environment does not address any aspect of ground risk that the operation may pose.

“It is likely that certain elements of ground risk are increased by operating close to infrastructure. It is for the operator to propose how they intend to mitigate other areas of risk, including seeking any relevant approval and ensuring coordination with the infrastructure owner as required.”

Have your say here: http://tinyurl.com/3peectu6.