Drone and Aircraft Collisions

After all the positive attention our blog has been giving drones over the past year, it seems almost a shame to be writing this one! Previously we mentioned the AED drone, built to save lives you can find here

We also featured the drone made to drop medical kits to refugees in war zones and even more recently, the shark spotting drone that kept beachgoers safe! – here

Personal drone pilots have airspace rules and regulations they must follow, to protect aircraft and people. In the past year the CAA (Civil aviation authority) have recorded 6 near misses of personal drones with aircraft.

An Airbus A320’s wing passed 6m (20ft) below a drone hovering at Heathrow, said the Civil Aviation Authority.News about the mid-air encounter comes only days after a Lufthansa jet nearly collided with a drone on the approach to Warsaw’s international airport. Drone users can face up to 5 years in jail for a scenario like this.

The “dronecode” says recreational drone owners should always keep their craft within their line of sight, about 500m (1,640ft), and must not fly higher than 122m. In some of the near-collisions, drones were flying at heights of about 2,000ft, it said.

The code also says that drones carrying cameras must stay at least 50m away from people, vehicles and structures and must not approach a large group of people closer than 150m.