AN EMERGING HAZARD

[Lampo 13]

Unauthorized operations of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) represent an increasing risk to CAT
operations and the international aviation community is reacting with a number of initiatives.
Please find below a recently published FAA News and a relevant excerpt of EVAIR Bulletin #14, issued in
July 2015 (http://www.eurocontrol.int/publications ... ulletin-14 ).

FAA NEWS - Pilot Unmanned Aircraft reports much higher in 2015

Pilot reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past year, from a total of 238
sightings in all of 2014, to more than 650 by August 9 of this year. The FAA wants to send out a clear
message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal. Unauthorized
operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.
Pilots of a variety of different types of aircraft – including many large, commercial air carriers – reported
spotting 16 unmanned aircraft in June of 2014, and 36 the following month. This year, 138 pilots
reported seeing drones at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet during the month of June, and another 137 in July.

Meanwhile, firefighters battling wildfire blazes in the western part of the country have been forced to
ground their operations on several occasions for safety reasons when they spotted one or more
unmanned aircraft in their immediate vicinity.

The FAA will continue to work closely with industry partners through the “Know Before You Fly” campaign
to educate unmanned aircraft users about where they can operate within the rules. The agency is also
supporting the National Interagency Fire Center’s “If You Fly, We Can’t” efforts to help reduce interference
with firefighting operations.
However, the FAA also is working closely with the law enforcement community to identify and investigate
unauthorized unmanned aircraft operations. The FAA has levied civil penalties for a number of
unauthorized flights in various parts of the country, and has dozens of open enforcement cases.
The FAA encourages the public to report unauthorized drone operations to local law enforcement and to
help discourage this dangerous, illegal activity.

EVAIR Bulletin #14 pag. 25
RPAS - REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (DRONES)

After raising the alarm of the RPAS safety issues in previous Bulletin now we can say that the problem
continues and new RPAS events that occurred within controlled airspace have been provided.
It is important to highlight that there are number of ongoing activities on the global and European level:

ICAO published ‘Manual on RPAS’ (Doc 10019) (http://cfapp.icao.int/tools/ikit/• rpasikit/story.html)

• EC developed the “Roadmap for the integration of civil RPAS into the European aviation system”
http://www.ec.europa.eu/transport/modes ... nes_en.htm

• EASA developed the ‘Concept of operations for drones”
http://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/ ... 3-2015.pdf

EUROCONTROL is working on the ATM part of RPAS integration across Europe; Some number of
regulators have developed national regulation related to RPAS, etc.

However, lessons learned from the Laser issues and continuous increase of the number of laser reports
say that some actions, especially those related to the abuse of the RPAS, should be taken as soon as
possible to prevent escalation of the safety problems within the controlled airspace.
Namely, the number of laser reports when the problem was identified was very low but then gradually
increased because of the lack of the timely and adequate national and especially pan-European
measures, which we still miss. We believe that there are similarities between laser and RPAS related to
the miss-use of the equipment. If adequate measures and actions are not taken in a timely way to control
the proliferation of these devices, we might see an increase in the miss-use (inadvertent or purposeful)
of RPAS too and consequently an increase in the number of RPAS related ATM safety reports.

All reports EVAIR received occurred within the controlled airspace.
In all of them there was no coordination between the RPAS user and the local ATC. Moreover, it looked
like the RPAS was used in a similar way as laser. All occurrences occurred at low level altitudes within
the approach or departure phase.
One of the air operators provided to EVAIR a drone photo, which was very similar to the one this air
operator encountered.
EVAIR continues with the monitoring of this problem and as always we would welcome reports involving
these devices.

De-identified “RPAS event recorded during the summer 2014:

2014 Jul – During the departure phase the crew observed the encounter which looked on the big
bird but then it became clear that it was a Drone encounter. It was difficult to estimate the distance
but it was close and the crew kept the eye on the object without changing the flight trajectory.

In XXXXXX safety database there is only one report of RPAS-encounter, occurred in 2013.

“At about 1750ft, approaching JFK, F/O called my attention on a small object crossing our course from
right to left about 200 ft below us. It was similar to a small toy drone painted in orange with no lights
due to difference of altitude and course no corrective action was needed. We informed KJFK TWR of the
presence of the flying object.”

[camicius]

Io, da pilota privato, un po' di paura ce l'ho. Nel senso, è chiaro che intorno a Montichiari o a Orio è difficile trovare qualcuno inconsapevole della presenza dell'aeroporto, ma in qualche aviosuperficie o aeroportino con poco traffico, qualcuno potrebbe inconsapevolmente far volare il suo drone fino dentro la mia elica (o contro il mio carrello).

Tra l'altro senza troppa esperienza ci si può autocostruire un drone, che quindi è esente da tutti gli eventuali controlli che si possono fare alla vendita.

Non ci resta che contare sull'intelligenza delle persone, che è la cosa che mi fa più paura...

ciao
Andrea

[Lampo 13]

Io, da pilota privato, un po' di paura ce l'ho. Nel senso, è chiaro che intorno a Montichiari o a Orio è difficile trovare qualcuno inconsapevole della presenza dell'aeroporto, ma in qualche aviosuperficie o aeroportino con poco traffico, qualcuno potrebbe inconsapevolmente far volare il suo drone fino dentro la mia elica (o contro il mio carrello).

Tra l'altro senza troppa esperienza ci si può autocostruire un drone, che quindi è esente da tutti gli eventuali controlli che si possono fare alla vendita.

Non ci resta che contare sull'intelligenza delle persone, che è la cosa che mi fa più paura...

ciao
Andrea

Basta vedere cosa fanno con i "laser" portatili!

[camicius]

Basta vedere cosa fanno con i "laser" portatili!

La mia paura è dell'ignorante non del malintenzionato.

Ciao
Andrea