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Drones, planes, too close for comfort in Canadian skies

The technology that is transforming everything from wedding photography to scientific research is becoming every pilot's nightmare. Drones - no bigger than a toy, with the potential to put planes and their passengers at risk. Today we're looking at close encounters in Canadian Airspace....
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The Current22:00Drones, planes, too close for comfort in Canadian skies - Dec 1, 2014
The technology that is transforming everything from wedding photography to scientific research is becoming every pilot's nightmare. Drones - no bigger than a toy, with the potential to put planes and their passengers at risk. Today we're looking at close encounters in Canadian Airspace.

It's known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, also a UAV ... or simply, a drone.

Sales of drones have been taking off recently. There are drones for fun, and drones for professional use. But as more and more of them fill our skies, new risks are also taking wing: risks to pilots and aircraft, and their passengers too.

According to Transport Canada, there have already been 44 reportable incidents involving drones across the country this year.

As we got to within about 8 miles from the airport, all three of us in the airplane looked out in front of us and saw a drone with two flashing red lights ... I thought, gosh, well he's up here in my airspace, crossing over in front of us. We did not have to execute any evasive manoeuvres, but it was somewhat disconcerting and we chose to report it to the FAA..Mike Gilbert, flight instructor at Aviation Adventues in Leesburg, Virginia

No collisions, but close calls like the one Mike Gilbert metioned, as well as what Transport Canada calls "loss of separation." That's when a drone loses touch with its human operator on the ground, or flies out of range.

And now, it's getting easier to legally operate small drones. Just last week, federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt lifted rules requiring an operating certificate for drones under 25 kilograms. It's one of several rule changes for drone operators that she's announced lately.

And it has pilots concerned.

Cameron Ross is a commercial pilot with Island Coastal Aviation, and a trained flight instructor.

Stories of close encounters between drones and aircraft are a major concern to my next guest. Captain Dan Adamus is a veteran pilot, and he speaks for many more.He heads the Canadian Board of the Air Line Pilots Association, an organization representing more than 51,000 pilots at 30 airlines across North America.

Ian Glenn heads up a company called ING Robotic Aviation that uses drones for commercial purposes.


Do you have thoughts to add to this discussion? Perhaps you have your own personal drone? Get in touch.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Pacinthe Mattar, Marc Apollonio and Sujata Berry.

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