The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) sent a letter to Dr. Fang Liu, ICAO secretary general, urging ICAO to accelerate regulation of recreational drones.
The Foundation is increasingly concerned that uncertificated, untrained recreational drone operators are flying small UAS near airports and manned aircraft, posing a safety risk.
FSF urges “ICAO to accelerate efforts to fashion appropriate Standards and Recommended Practices for drones, along with procedures and guidance material for States. We also urge all States to intensify efforts to develop proportionate and risk-based approaches for drone laws and regulations that ensure the public’s safety, including by direct regulation of recreational drones, with adequate tracking and identification. We encourage States to consider mandating such technologies as geo-fencing, altitude limiters and line-of-sight controls for equipment used by hobbyists.”
Although some civil aviation authorities – including the European Aviation Safety Agency and those in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Singapore and the U.K. – currently regulate all drone operations, others, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, due to legislative restrictions, have had to limit “hobbyist” regulation to registration.
More information:
- Chinese authorities test drone-aircraft collision (10 Dec. 2017)
- Researchers release report on drone airborne collisions (29 Nov. 2017)
- UK Airprox Board (UKAB) notes rise in aircraft-drone encounters in 2016 (29 Nov. 2017)
- U.K. Government releases results of drone / aircraft mid air collision damage study (23 July 2017)
- Russia notes rise in drone incidents (27 June 2017)