[Peetwo]

DAS Carmody gives industry his opinion on drone safety risk mitigation -   

Reference Kharon on Avmed thread:  http://www.auntypru.com/forum/thread-17-...ml#pid9533

...Operational specialist ‘opinion’, much like that of the Rev Forsyth and specialist medical advice and that of the RRAT committee and the AOPA is being dismissed on an industrial scale; put aside as ‘opinion’ and disregarded. The end result is always that no matter how loud, how long; or, even how well informed or supported that ‘opinion’ may be; it will be arbitrarily dismissed. That demonstrable fact; stand alone should provide solid grounds for meaningful reform; alas, it does not. What it does provide is more and more money being demanded to prop up, protect and support a deeply flawed, failed, system... 

Talking of opinions I note that at the AAA conference Shane Carmody is of the opinion that drone incidents have plateaued: Reference - AA online: http://australianaviation.com.au/2018/11...aued-casa/

DRONE INCIDENTS HAVE PLATEAUED: CASA
written by Australianaviation.Com.Au November 15, 2018

A file image of a DJI Phantom drone.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) chief executive and director of aviation safety Shane Carmody says the number of incidents involving drones has levelled off amid their growing popularity.

The use of drones has boomed in recent times, not just among recreational users but also for commercial purposes such as aerial photography, search and rescue, and emergency response, to name just three from what is an ever-expanding list.

That growth has put the spotlight on regulators around the world to come up with rule sets that balance the need for drones to be used safely without putting a handbrake on innovation.

To ensure the safe operation of passenger aircraft at airports, CASA prohibits drones to be used within 3nm or 5.5km of a controlled aerodrome. They are also banned from operating on or above runways, taxiways or in the approach and departure paths of the aerodrome.

While there have been a number of incidents involving drones and aircraft around the world, Carmody says the number of reported incidents in Australia appeared to have peaked.

“When we talk about drones that the amount of safety reports on drones and aircraft interactions appear at least to me to have plateaued,” Carmody told delegates at the Australian Airports Association (AAA) national conference in Brisbane on Tuesday.

“We hope that this is at least in part due to a strong educational campaign. There is a lot more work to do and an awful lot of focus goes into this.”

“The safety issue I am hearing less than I did 12 months ago.”

The upcoming challenge will come from the potential use of larger drones as a mode of transportation, both for goods and people.

How will the drones of the future operate within controlled airspace? (Volocopter)

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There are already there are trials around the world, including “Project Wing” from US-based company X that was founded by Alphabet (which owns Google) to research and develop so-called “moonshots”.

The project is trialling the delivery of food and non-prescription medicines to homes in the outer suburbs of Canberra’s Tuggeranong region.
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A Project Wing delivery drone test in Queanbeyan in 2017. (X)

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And looking further ahead, drones are also being considered as a source of public transportation in the form of an “air taxi”, with the likes of Airbus, Boeing and Uber as well as carmakers, airlines and technology companies having projects in various stages of development.

These include trials in Canterbury in New Zealand’s south island by Kitty Hawk’s Zephyr Airworks and of flying air taxis in Dubai. Also, Rolls-Royce unveiled an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) vehicle at the Farnborough Airshow in July.
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The Cora air taxi. (cora.aero)

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In recent days it was reported that ride-sharing company Uber wants to start trials of its UberAir service in 2019, first in the United States and eventually in Australia.

Carmody said the world had “only scratched the surface of opportunity” when it came to drones.

“We are hearing more and more from companies trying to push this envelope,” Carmody said.

“While there is a lot to do in this area to ensure these operate safely, I can’t even begin to imagine the potential that this sort of service will unlock.
“But essentially with drones it is a brave new world.”

VIDEO: A look at Cora, the 100 per cent electric air taxi currently undergoing trials in New Zealand, from the Kitty Hawk YouTube channel.

DRONES TO ALSO IMPACT AIRSPACE DESIGN

The design of the airspace around Sydney is also being impacted by drones in addition to the construction of the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek.

“We are currently considering a different approach to the review and development of airspace architecture around the Sydney basin, especially in light of the construction of Western Sydney Airport, an identified need for change to airspace associated with Bankstown and other airspace considerations slightly further afield such as possible requirements for additional protective airspace around Tidbinbilla,” Carmody said.

“This more wholistic approach will be predicated on a more in-depth understating of airspace hazards and risks which we can only get by working collaboratively and in consultation with the community such as the those represented here.”

“I note also that by 2025, when Western Sydney Airport is supposed to be operational, which is seven years from now and if the drone forecasts of this morning was true that is another consideration that is going to have to be effectively managed at Western Sydney Airport.”

AIRSERVICES ALSO PLANNING FOR DRONES

Airservices Australia chief executive Jason Harfield told delegates at the AAA national conference any proposed drone trials from Uber – Melbourne and Sydney were floated as potential Australian trial locations – would throw up a number of issues regarding airspace.

“First and foremost is not that you might get a variety of players in that space but how do you actually integrate those operations into normal, current conventional air operations,” Harfield said during a panel discussion on Wednesday.

“Because one of the premise, particularly with Uber Elevate and some of these taxis, is actually the connectivity with the airport and so how do you integrate that.

“We are trying to look at the philosophy and looking at it as these are just a different form of helicopter.

“With the proliferation, you are not going to be able to control them in a conventional sense like we do aircraft and airlines now.”

Harfield said air traffic control had up until now been done in a “very analogue way” and the challenge would be to take advantage of new technologies to deal with the magnitude of the problem while maintaining the integrity of the system.

VIDEO: A look at Project Wing from the The Moonshot Factory’s YouTube channel.
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And for the Creepy Airport propaganda version - 

Via the Airport Professional: https://airportprofessional.asn.au/safet...potential/

While on drones I note that the legal eagle publication Mondaq has put out a reasonable legal review of the Senate Drone Inquiry report and it's recommendations : http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/754504...nto+drones

Australia: Flying Into The Future: Australian Senate Inquiry Into Drones
Last Updated: 14 November 2018
Article by Maurice Thompson and James M Cooper
Clyde & Co

The report was highly anticipated. During the 18 month period of consultation with operators, regulators and businesses, the eSenate Inquiry committee heard that Australia is at the forefront of drones.  Australia's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), estimates there are now more than 50,000 users of recreational drones and well over 1,000 commercial operators in Australia.

It was recognised that the main challenge in establishing an effective regulatory regime for drones is to foster innovation while still balancing community concerns in relation to safety, privacy, security, and social and economic benefits.

The Senate Inquiry report recommendations are likely to lead to a suite of significant amendments to Australia's current drone regulations over the next 12 months.

Key recommendations
Among the 10 recommendations made by the Senate Inquiry committee were:

• Recommendation 1: Immediate reform of the current regulations (Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998)
  

The current regulations, which commenced in September 2016, had the effect of (controversially) relaxing the rules for drones weighing less than 2kg.The Senate Inquiry committee criticised those changes on the basis that even small drones are capable of causing considerable damage to rotorcraft and aircraft.

• Recommendation 2: Mandatory registration regime for all drones weighing more than 250 grams, together with a tiered education / training program
  

A compulsory registration regime in Australia would align Australia's regulations with those currently in force in jurisdictions across the world, including the US and UK where drones over 250g are required to be registered prior to flight. Currently, there is no way to identify the operator and owner of any drone involved in a near-miss incident or collision. Registration requirements of all drones would allow enforcement agencies to monitor and penalise unlawful activity.

The committee also recognised that more should be done to ensure that all drone users, whether recreational or commercial, undertake some form of mandatory education and training before flying their drones. The committee was alarmed by numerous reports of reckless drone operations which had hindered emergency operations, flown close to commercial aircrafts, or intruded upon restricted airspace. Accordingly, the committee recommended that drones users be required to undertake mandatory education and training so all operators understand the rules which will ultimately reduce the risks to public safety.

• Recommendation 5: Development of drones-specific airworthiness standards, including mandated 'fail-safe' functions
  

The committee recognised that to allow drones to fully integrate into shared airspace, they must be subject to standards of airworthiness. The committee recommended that airworthiness standards should extend to drones that arrive in the country through foreign imports, similar to model rockets and laser pointers.

The committee also recommended that drones should include a number of fail-safe redundancies, such as return-to-home functionality and forced flight termination.

• Recommendation 10: Creation of a nation-wide enforcement regime, including powers to issue on-the-spot-fines and report infringements, as part of a coordinated 'whole government policy'
  

In order for Australia to balance the important challenges of ensuring public and aviation safety, and encouraging innovation, the committee recommended that existing regulations be expanded to include a registration requirement, education and awareness training, additional enforcement and compliance measures, and technology-based solutions, as part of a 'whole of government' approach.The intention appears to be to move towards a drones-specific legal framework covering the breadth of issues commonly arising from drones use – safety, privacy, damage to people or property, and cyber security, among others.

Backdrop to the Senate Inquiry recommendations – where to from here?

When Australia's new drones regulations commenced in September 2016, we posed the question – how long would they last? Through those new regulations, CASA had introduced a risk-based framework for commercial drones operations, the aim being to reduce the 'red tape' for operators of drones under 2kg that are considered to be "lower risk" and thereby promote the local industry.

The Senate Inquiry committee was critical of CASA's approach.  It found that even small drones are capable of causing significant damage to aircraft, people or property, and present a safety risk that needs to be protected against.  The position recommended by the Senate committee represents a clear shift and would bring Australia's regulations closer into line with those in the UK and the US, but potentially with even more stringent requirements for operators.  

So, less than two years after Australia's current drones regulations commenced, we will now enter a period of uncertainty while a proposal for a reformed set of regulations is prepared.  CASA has indicated that a review of drones (including new registration and remote pilot accreditation requirements) is to be implemented in mid-2019.  One suspects this will be just another step in a continual period of review and change over the coming years as this era-defining technology continues to evolve.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

MTF...P2 


Ps More on the Leopard & Spots, bollocks Carmody AAA speech over on the Senate Estimates thread...