What UAS Issues will the UC Face in 5 Years?
Another one of our staff members has some additional predictions as to how hobbiests are reason for concern as drones become an ever more popular toy.
1. Hobbyist Pilot Risk Assessment
The use of drones has skyrocketed within the past years, which is a fantastic opportunity to take the general public to new heights, literally. Drones have enabled research in the fields of agriculture, environmental monitoring, digital archeology, and so many more. They've enabled the youth to step into the world of STEM at a young age, because many of them are getting drones for Christmas and birthdays. They've even allowed many older people to have fun on their weekends and take some outstanding video and pictures. As amazing as drones are, an issue arises with this increase of drone usage. With an influx of new pilots, the risk of crashes also increases. As drones become more common place, in 5 years, I believe that drone risk assessment will still be a big concern, because let's be honest. Who hasn't crashed a drone at least once. Even if it's smaller than a phone, a drone crash is a drone crash.
As drone size increases, the more dangerous a drone becomes. If pilots cannot accurately assess the risk associated with their flights and drone, both those involved in the operation and those around the operation become subject to the risk. A hobbyist is required to obtain an FAA certificate for hobbyist use and follow community guidelines. Although the instructions may be straightforward, hobbyists may not always follow guidelines accurately. A person may believe they are being safe by flying away from people at a park, but what happens if a group of people enter below the flight zone just as the drone loses connection? If the drone is at a height that a normal person walking cannot hear or see the drone, a risk emerges. Let alone, a person underneath a drone can be at risk. A drone crash can be minor or extreme, depending on many factors such as height, weight, and so on. Therefore, the pilot should always be aware of their surroundings and general public in the area to ensure the safety of the operation and others not involved.
But hey, we can't just blame the pilot. Drones are known to have issues themselves. Some drones have bugs that make them fly away with no warning. Others may have faulty parts and just decide to fall out of the sky mid-flight. The drone may not have a red sign saying “hey, I'm broken, fix me now!” But they may have small noticeable traits that give off a warning sign. Pilots should always inspect their drone based on the manufacture instructions, or create their own inspection list if the drone did not come with one. A good way to ensure that the drone is in workable condition is to do safe test flights in remote locations away from the general public. Test flights can help reveal warning signs from the drones before entering a “risky” area. Pilots will be able to decide if their drone is safe enough to enter areas of general public and property after test flights. If not, they can return home and modify their drone to fix the issue. Manufacturers and the internet provide a surplus of guides and steps to take to help pilots fix drone related issues.
Not to scare new pilots from flying, but it's about flying safely. Pilots needs to understand that anything can and will happen eventually. The steps taken prior to crashes can determine the safety of everyone in the operation and around the operation. So, in 5 years, I think it still will be an issue. A regular hobbyist may not know about risk assessment and safety inspections in detail as a person with a private pilot's license or remote pilot's license. Therefore, how can they know the importance of risk assessment when they aren't required to? There are many possible solutions to help decrease risks, but finding one that works the best is still unknown. Hopefully in 5 years I am wrong, and risk assessment is not a major issue.
