DRONE pilots need to educate themselves on the law regarding these ever popular flying machines – or face severe consequences.
That’s the message from Richards Bay Airport Manager, Oscar Nzima, who says failure to comply with South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations could have costly and dangerous outcomes.
Falling under the category ‘Remotely Piloted Aircraft’ (RPAS), drones are increasingly being used for aerial photography in a number of applications…but few if any local operators are bothering to be officially registered with the CAA.
‘Besides safety issues there are other considerations such as security and privacy concerns,’ said Nzima.
‘Unless they have the necessary authorisation and clearance, they are violating the city’s airspace, which extends in a radius of 13 nautical miles (29km) from the airport, and from ground level to an altitude of 2 500ft.
‘The pilots need permission to be in the air and must be in two-way contact with our air traffic controllers at all times.’
Catastrophe
Earlier this year, the CAA issued a media release stating a dramatic increase in the number of registered drones, from 216 in January 2016, to 465 in January 2017.
‘The concern is that some owners may use these aircraft in a manner that contravenes civil aviation regulations and other laws,’ said Simon Segwabe, Executive: Aviation Safety Operations at the South African CAA.
‘Since they are categorised as aircraft across the globe, authorities are eager to swiftly integrate these aircraft into the existing manned aviation sector and civil airspace, which is relatively safe, secure, and highly organised.
“The reality is that in most instances RPAS are made with consumer-grade electronics, with uncertified and often untraceable hardware and software.
‘The failure rates of some of these aircraft are indeterminable, as there are currently no civil certification standards available anywhere in the world.
‘Although these aircraft are much smaller and lighter than existing manned aircraft, their presence in the skies still present a significant risk to other airspace users, persons, and property on the ground.
‘A collision of an RPAS and a helicopter or a jet full of passengers could lead to a catastrophic disaster.’
Basic CAA guidelines for drones
• The RPAS may only be used for an individual’s personal and private purposes where there is no commercial outcome, interest or gain;
• For all other use an RPA must be registered and may only be operated in terms of CAA regulations.
• The pilot must observe all statutory requirements relating to liability, privacy and any other laws enforceable by any other authorities.
• Do not fly/operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft, or toy aircraft:
– 50m or closer from any person or group of persons (like sports field, road races, schools, social events, etc.) or any property without permission from the property owner;
– Near manned aircraft
– 10m or closer to an aerodrome (airport, helipad, airfield)
– Weighing more than 7kg
– In controlled, restricted or prohibited airspace
– Higher than 150ft from the ground, unless approved by the Director of Civil Aviation of the SACAA.
– Outside the the visual line of sight of the pilot at all times
– In poor light and weather conditions.
For more information on the operation of model aircraft, please contact the South African Model Aircraft Association (SAAMA), www.samaa.org.za
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