[Peetwo]

Sterlo & Barry O back on the frontline -

Quote from this week's SBG:

"..I note the ‘drone wars’ bandwagon continues to attract commentary and an avalanche of ‘if’s and but’s. P2 has, faithfully, despite tedium provided the latest. Ain’t going to plough through that lot, life is too short – I like Barry O’Sullivan’s notion; get licenced, get trained or get fined.."

Via the AFR:

'Catastrophe waiting to happen': Drone boom safety concerns

A Senate committee inquiry has heard reports of drones landing on cars, bumping into windows of residential towers and even landing on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

by Ronald Mizen
Former air crash investigator turned senator Barry O'Sullivan has warned it should not take a large casualty catastrophe before drones are properly regulated in Australia, as new figures reveal a boom in drone use.

In the past year, the number for remote pilot licences on issue grew by as much as 50 per cent to more than 6000, according the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, while the number of operators of commercial drones of more than two kilograms increased from about 900 to more than 1150.

But it's in the sub-two-kilogram commercial category – which does not require a remote pilot's licence – where the biggest growth was recorded. Since being established 12 months ago, more than 7600 people have registered as operating sub-two-kilogram commercial drone operations.

With the number of drones in Australia estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000, and only a fraction of those being operated by licensed pilots, concerns have been raised about the risks associated with so much activity in our skies.

Senator Barry O'Sullivan said he was not opposed to drones and recognised their benefits, particularly in regional Australia. Alex Ellinghausen

Over the same period, CASA received more than 700 complaints about drone use – on average it receives three to four complaints a day. Since the beginning of the year the regulator has issued 21 fines for drone misuse, which carry a maximum penalty of $900 or $9000 if the matter goes to court.

A Senate committee inquiry into drone safety heard evidence this year that there were about 180 reported near misses between drones and other aircraft in 2016 with almost no way of knowing who was controlling them at the time.

The committee's chairman and deputy chairman – Labor's Glenn Sterle and the Coalition's Barry O'Sullivan – blasted the current safeguards as a "dog's breakfast" and "non-existent," saying things needed to change before there was a catastrophe.

Catastrophe waiting to happen

"My personal view is that this is a catastrophe waiting to happen," Senator O'Sullivan – an air crash investigator of 20 years – told The Australian Financial Review. "We must get out in front of this so we can restore, as best we can, air safety."

Senator Glenn Sterle said the committee had heard evidence there could be as many as 100,000 drones across Australia. Trevor Collens

Senator O'Sullivan said he was not opposed to drones and recognised their benefits, particularly in regional Australia. But the current regulatory environment was worse than allowing children and unlicensed people to own and operate a car.

It should not take a major event, as with gun control laws, before improvements are made, he said. "If a catastrophe were to happen tomorrow ... I promise you the government would wake up the next day and ground every single one of them."

CASA's rules state that unlicensed drone operators must not fly within 30 metres of people, higher than 120 metres or within 5½ kilometres of airfields. They must also avoid populous areas and night flying, and maintain visual line of sight at all times.

Senator Sterle said the committee heard evidence there could be as many as 100,000 drones in Australia, with reports of drones landing on cars, bumping into windows of residential towers and even landing on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

"We don't know who owns these things if there's an accident," Senator Sterle said. "That's before we even get into terrorism and national security."

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the authority had "no concerns" about the rapid growth in drone usage, but education remained key to ensuring safety in the skies.

"Growth is positive – we are utilising this innovative technology in Australia for community benefit," Mr Gibson said. "Education is a positive way of ensuring the rules are understood."

But education may not be enough. The committee report – which could be tabled in Parliament by year end – is expected to contain strong recommendations to strengthen drone regulations and improve safety standards.


Read more: http://www.afr.com/business/transport/aviation/catastrophe-waiting-to-happen-drone-boom-safety-concerns-20170922-gymwo1#ixzz4tbAWCW1e

MTF...P2