Safely operating unmanned aircraft vehicles on UK farms

what are the 2 main types of drones?

1. fixed wing,

2. rotary wing

what 3 things does current UK legislation require focus on?

1. ground risks,

2. air risks,

3. privacy and security

what ground risks need to be minimised?

minimising collision risks with property and people

what air risks need minimising?

minimising collision risks with manned or unmanned aircraft

who’s privacy and security needs to be protected?

individuals

what are the minimum requirements of owning a drone?

civil aviation authority - DMARES,

must pass an online theory tests to get a ‘flyer ID’

what does DMARES stand for?

drone and model aircraft registration and education scheme

how many questions are on the online theory test?

~40 multiple choice questions

How much does the online theory test cost and how long does it last?

no cost and lasts for 5 years

what must you have if you are responsible for a drone?

you must register as an operator to receive an ‘operator ID.

where must you display your operator ID?

on all your drones

how old must you be to be a drone operator?

18 or over

how much does an operator ID cost and how long does it last?

£10 and lasts 1 year

what are the 2 types of further training and qualifications?

• A2 CofC (certificate of competence),

• general VLOS (visual line of sight) certificate (GVC),

where can the A2 CofC be used?

can be/must be used in the ‘open category’ (lowest risk)

where must the general VLOS certificate be used?

in the ‘specific category’ (medium risk)

what are the requirements in the ‘certified category’ (high risk)?

requirements are identical to manned aviation

what weights can drones be?

• <250g,

• 250g-500g,

• 500g-2kg,

• 2kg-25kg.

what are 6 risk factors when flying a drone?

• drone weight,

• distance between flight path and ‘uninvolved people’/crowds,

• whether there’s overflight of people/crowds,

• maximum speed of drones,

• whether the drones carrying ‘dangerous’ payloads,

• whether the drone is designed and constructed to minimise injury to people.

where can there be flying restrictions (for drones too)?

certain airspcae

how long can areas have restricted airspace?

it can be permanent or temporary

where can there be restricted airspace particularly?

around military and civilian airfields, airports and heliports,

around military training flight routes.

what must you check before flying a drone?

check restricted airspaces online before flight

what weather affects drone flights?

wind (speed, direction and level of turbulence),

temperature,

fog, mist,

clouds and precipitation

what is headwind (regarding drones)?

wind going against the direction the drone’s flying

what is tailwind (regarding drones)?

wind going with the direction the drone is flying

what is crosswind (regarding drones)?

wind going across the direction the drone is flying.

what weather is vitally important to know when flying a drone?

wind speed and direction

what is mechanical turbulence?

friction between air and ground.

what can mechanical turbulence be caused by?

uneven surfaces like hills and buildings, create unstable air flow

what causes thermal (convection) turbulence?

different surfaces are heated up at different speeds by sunlight. creates variation in speed of rising/falling air

what is wind shear?

nearby air can be moving in different speeds.

what is the boundary area called (regarding wind shear) and what direction does air move?

the ‘shear zone’ where air moves in several different directions

How does cold weather impact drones?

• battery performance drops considerably,

• leading edges of propellers can get a build up of ice in cold, humid conditions.

how does decreased battery performance affect drones flying ability?

impacts flight time and ability to return to land safely

how does hot weather impact drone batteries?

batteries can become unstable and dangerous in hot weather,

In hot weather, what may equipment need to do?

equipment ‘working hard’ may need to be left to cool.

what can impair visibility?

fog, mist and sunlight

what can visibility allow for when flying a drone?

allows confirmation that drone location is not at the minimum

what type of weather do cumulonimbus clouds bring?

heavy rain and thunder

How can heavy rain and thunder affect drones?

it can affect the electrical circuitry of drones

what do IP (international protection) ratings refer to?

level of protection from solids and liquids.

what do higher IP ratings lead to?

better protection

what don’t many current ‘off the shelf’ drones have?

IP ratings.

can some specialised drones be flown in rain?

yes

what pre-flight weather checks need to be done as part of the risk assessment and flight planning?

the use of online weather forecasting resources

what piece of equipment can be used for the windspeed assessment?

anemometer

what 6 maintenance and repair checks should be conducted before every flight?

1. inspect for damage,

2. check condition of propellor blades,

3. ensure software/firmware is up to date,

4. ensure replacement parts are suitable,

5. document maintenance and repairs in maintenance log-book,

6. check condition of batteries.

what do most current ‘off-the-shelf’ drone batteries contain?

LIPO (lithium polymer)

what do drone batteries have to be able to do?

discharge more power in shorter periods of time to allow power hungry turning of rotors than other consumer electronics

when do drone batteries become hazardous?

when being charged and particularly when damaged

what background research needs to be done before a drone flight?

weather checks,

airspace check,

risk assessment.

what on-site assessment checks are needed to be done pre-flight?

visibility,

weather checks,

hazard identification.

what influences which ‘category’ you must fly under?

drone weight

what can affect the stability of a drone flight?

payload additions

how do quadcopter type drones fly?

they generate lift by rotating their propellors.

what is the amount of lift generated by a quadcopter type drone influenced by?

• speed of propellors,

• size of propellors,

• air density and humidity,

what are the best conditions for generating lift?

on dry, cold winter mornings near sea level

what are the worst conditions for generating lift?

in the middle of summer, high up in the mountains, in tropical rain forest at midday

what propellor speed is better for generating lift?

faster propellors

what propellor size if best for generating lift?

larger propellors

what does VLOS stand for?

visual line of sight

what is a legal requirement in the UK regarding visibility when flying drones?

to maintain VLOS with your drone at all times

what height should never be exceeded when flying drones?

120 meters from the earths surface

what distance should never be exceeded when flying a drone?

500 metres

what 6 emergencies should there be procedures for?

• loss of power,

• loss of control,

• loss of GPS signal,

• incursion into airspace,

• incursion into ground space,

• pilot incapacitated.

when does a ring vortex occur?

when quadcopter drones descend too quickly.

what happens to air that’s already passed through propellor blades (in ring vortex state)?

it’s dragged through a 2nd time

what does ring vortex state create for the drone and what does this cause?

creates severe instability for the drone which often leads to a crash

what post-flight procedures should be done when flying drones?

inspect drone for damage,

safe and proper storage,

incident reporting.