Australian Aviation - July 2018

98 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

I

ndividuals and large multi-national

corporations all over the world are

devising increasingly sophisticated

recreational and commercial

uses for drones, bringing with them

new and different airspace and

infrastructure needs. With that many

issues will arise in the near and

medium term to safely and efficiently

accommodate this very different type

of airspace user.

Drones are already used extensively

across a range of commerical and

parapublic activities, from search

and rescue, fire management and

emergency response, to aerial

photography, aerial agriculture

including spraying, plant analysis

and vegetation crop mapping, to

environmental research.

Generally these operations are

within visual line of sight with

relatively small payloads.

But in urban areas of the future we

expect to see networks of autonomous

aerial taxis, large parcel delivery

drones, single or two-seat personal

use drones in our backyards, drone

ambulances responding to medical

emergencies and the list goes on.

In the regions, drones will be used

for any purpose that makes a task

safer, more efficient or simply could

not be done any other way.

Drones can conflict with the safe

operation of airports and aircraft

landing areas (ALA), therefore the

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

generally prohibits the operation of

drones within areas of airspace where

civil aircraft operate. Drones are

not allowed to operate within 3nm

WRITER: KEITH TONKIN

Drones throw up challenging airspace and infrastructure issues

KEEP ’EM

SEPARATED

How will the drones of the

future operate within controlled

airspace?VOLOCOPTER