A clear and present danger

The dramatic picture taken by Daniel Kitlar of DK and CK Photos was shot from the Mend Street jetty in South Perth and captures the drone approaching the A350 as it flew over Heirisson Island.

Kitlar, himself an experienced drone operator, said he was stunned when he reviewed his photos later to see the drone.

“In my experience, that drone would have to have been at 1,200ft and the A350 was flying at 1,500ft,” said Kitlar.

And the angle that the photo was taken related to the flightpath confirms that height assessment.

Drone enthusiasts reported that two people were illegally operating a DJI Phantom 4 drone with a camera attached from Langley Park adjacent to the flightpath of the A350.

When challenged that they were operating outside regulations for height they hurled abuse.

The reckless incident is expected to curtail or even end flypasts by commercial and even military aircraft, CASA and ATSB officials say.

In March the ATSB warned that the number of close encounters between drones and aircraft is forecast to jump by 75 per cent this year.

An ATSB report on the safety of drones found there had been 180 safety incidents involving drones between 2012 and 2016, including crashes.

High capacity air transport accounted for 45 per cent of the reports and more than 60 per cent of all reported encounters – 108 incidents – happened last year.

Most encounters happened in capital cities and almost all were above the allowed altitude for drones of 400ft.

Some near misses happened at 3,000ft. The bureau report said “while there had been no reported collisions between RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft systems) and manned aircraft in Australia, and given the variables, the potential consequences of collisions are not yet fully understood”.

According to CASA, uncertified drones must also be in line of sight of the controller and at least 5km away from an airport boundary and in non-populated areas. Nearly all encounters breached some or all of these conditions.

The safety bureau’s chief commissioner Greg Hood said the report sought to better understand the implications for transport safety associated with the rise in the number of drones.

And the problem is global.

In a five-month period ending January 31 2016 the US Federal Aviation Administration reported that there were 583 known near misses between drones and planes, more than three times the number in 2014.

The US Centre for the Study of the Drone at Bard College tempers the FAA report, saying there is some duplication but it agrees to 519 incidents, of which 188 or 36. 2 per cent were close encounters.

Regardless, they are troubling numbers as it appears that drone users are ignoring the globally accepted rules of not operating above 120m and within 5. 5km of an airport.

What is of great concern, suggests the centre’s report on the FAA numbers, is that “three out of five incidents occurred within 8km of an airport, and nine out of 10 incidents occurred above 120m”.

In 24 incidents, drones came within 15m of a manned aircraft, and in 11 cases the pilots of the aircraft made evasive manoeuvres to avoid a drone. According to the data, 91. 9 per cent of the incidents occurred above 300ft, with the average altitude 3,000ft.

Non-military drones are usually capable of altitudes of up to 6,000ft and speeds of 50kt and they are selling in the hundreds of thousands.

Regulators concede they have been slow to act and some privately admit the situation is almost out of control.

While regulators around the world are grappling with the new drone phenomenon, responsible manufacturers such as China’s DJI have introduced geofencing technology into its drones to prevent them being flown into hazardous areas.

DJI also has a feature – Geospatial Environment Online – which provides drone users with up-to-date guidance on locations where flights may be restricted by regulations or raised safety or security concerns.

This could include bushfires, major stadium events and VIP travel.

While this works well for the responsible operator, hacks are already available online to work around the restrictions for those who flout the rules.

And that is the problem. Without global mandatory registration for owners and severe penalties, the irresponsible operator will continue to pose a serious threat to aviation.

Uncertified drones must also be in line of sight of the controller.