What constitutes a reason for the weight classification? and Why should we regulate? This needs to be resolved before we blanket new drone technology and capabilities with the existing control and safety logic with regulations we've relied on for the past 50 years. UAVs especially the small ones are not like normal aircraft, and their operational uses, automation and reliability are substantially different. This calls for different thinking.
I have read though all of the notes and recommendations I can find on how Canadian Air Regs (CARS) will be modified soon to accommodate drones . . .sorry "RPAS" . . RPAS is now the new acronym that is generally agreed on internationally by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Org). . so we are going to have to get used to that one now over UAVs or RPVs or UAS or drones. For now I'll just drone for convenience until the dust settles.
From all my reading of the proposals and recommendations it comes down to CLASSIFICATION. If there is no new lower classification lower than 25kg then we are regulating on fear, not physics and a whole set of over regulated unnecessary and ineffective control will result. The new rules Canada is proposing make perfect sense . . to a point . . . public safety, pilot knowledge, certification, vehicle maintenance and reliability as well as ATC "rules of the air" all benefit from drones being required to meet certain standards. But . . at some point you have to be practical as we have done with other vehicles. . . like bicycles, skateboards and scooters etc that share the road. Airspace is just a 3 dimensional road and the threat to life and property is no less real than with unregulated drones.
However, given the ability to define rules of the air that automated systems can be programmed to accommodate, there is no reason to further control 1kg machines in aviation, any more than exploding cellphones or hoverboards. We rationally did not ban all cell phones on airplanes just because the Galaxy 7s battery poses a threat to bringing down an airliner with 300passangers. . . . and we do not try to further regulate all cell phone design or performance testing due to a measurable (Non-Zero) threat to aviation.
So the first order of business, before setting the new regulations in "political concrete" is to correctly, (not arbitrarily) define a weight or size class boundary that makes rational sense according to physics and correct risk analysis of the threat that goes beyond "antiquated" aviation flight experience. . . I say antiquated because we have only just now realized the capability and performance of a 1kg flying camera. There are very capable systems now that general aviation has little or no first hand experience operating.
I'd like to know what you think . . what are the criteria to make a boundary between drone classifications?
I have read though all of the notes and recommendations I can find on how Canadian Air Regs (CARS) will be modified soon to accommodate drones . . .sorry "RPAS" . . RPAS is now the new acronym that is generally agreed on internationally by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Org). . so we are going to have to get used to that one now over UAVs or RPVs or UAS or drones. For now I'll just drone for convenience until the dust settles.
From all my reading of the proposals and recommendations it comes down to CLASSIFICATION. If there is no new lower classification lower than 25kg then we are regulating on fear, not physics and a whole set of over regulated unnecessary and ineffective control will result. The new rules Canada is proposing make perfect sense . . to a point . . . public safety, pilot knowledge, certification, vehicle maintenance and reliability as well as ATC "rules of the air" all benefit from drones being required to meet certain standards. But . . at some point you have to be practical as we have done with other vehicles. . . like bicycles, skateboards and scooters etc that share the road. Airspace is just a 3 dimensional road and the threat to life and property is no less real than with unregulated drones.
However, given the ability to define rules of the air that automated systems can be programmed to accommodate, there is no reason to further control 1kg machines in aviation, any more than exploding cellphones or hoverboards. We rationally did not ban all cell phones on airplanes just because the Galaxy 7s battery poses a threat to bringing down an airliner with 300passangers. . . . and we do not try to further regulate all cell phone design or performance testing due to a measurable (Non-Zero) threat to aviation.
So the first order of business, before setting the new regulations in "political concrete" is to correctly, (not arbitrarily) define a weight or size class boundary that makes rational sense according to physics and correct risk analysis of the threat that goes beyond "antiquated" aviation flight experience. . . I say antiquated because we have only just now realized the capability and performance of a 1kg flying camera. There are very capable systems now that general aviation has little or no first hand experience operating.
I'd like to know what you think . . what are the criteria to make a boundary between drone classifications?