Toy drones a risk to planes and helicopters: report
A new study published by Aero Kinetics, an Aerospace and Defense firm, reveals the safety impact and risks of toy drones in commercial airline airspace.
The study, entitled “The Real Consequences of Flying Toy Drones in the National Airspace System,” explores how dangerous unregulated toy drones can be to the aerospace industry and consumers.
The conclusion is that toy drones post a significant threat to manned rotorcraft in all phases of flight, including cruise, based upon their typical operating altitudes.
The immediate threat to airspace in South Africa is unlikely however, thanks to very strict laws that came into being in July.
“Most people don’t understand how threatening a toy drone can be. Toy drones are not unmanned aircraft,” said W. Hulsey Smith, CEO of Aero Kinetics.
“Make no mistake lives are at stake. This study is meant to bring the risk into perspective, and inform consumers of the dangers that exist. Safety matters, and is the driving force that can bring together the FAA, the aerospace industry, and the toy drone industry so that we can find the best ways to put meaningful regulations in place for toy drones.”
The study examined what will happen when a collision occurs between a toy drone and a manned aircraft, including the potential for damage and death. The study further compared a toy drone strike with historical data on bird strikes, which are proven to cause significant damage to manned aircraft and loss of human life.
2015 saw 13,668 cases of aircraft striking birds and other wildlife, according to an FAA report. The impacts destroyed 67 aircraft, most of them privately owned smaller planes, and caused an estimated $208 million in direct and indirect losses, the report said.
The study concludes that the impact of a toy drone, made of plastic, metal, and engineered materials, with a manned aircraft in a collision would be even more catastrophic.
“The toy drone industry is not regulated in the same manner unmanned aircraft are in the aerospace industry,” said W. Hulsey Smith.
“There is a huge risk for collisions that not only creates an alarming economic impact for aircraft, but also the human factor of losing lives onboard planes and innocent bystanders on the ground.”
The solution, the company said, is multi-fold, including educating the public, doing additional testing, creating dedicated operating areas, monitoring air-traffic to separate flight space, and understanding and implementing effective standards for certification.
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