UAVs fun, but potentially dangerous – Very fast drones available at EUR 200

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are becoming increasingly fast and small with the development of technology can be fun, but also dangerous. Improper use and the penetration of so-called “no-fly” zones, can jeopardize people's safety.

In order to avoid critical situations, users need to be educated, it was pointed out at the “Drones and Airport Security” panel within the first Airport Security Convention and Exhibition (ASCE), held on December 19-20 at Hotel Hilton in Belgrade.

The conference, organized by Tango Six Events and supported by the Nikola Tesla Airport, brought together representatives of regional airports, producers and companies from the field of airport security to present their plans, products and development strategies.

Vladimir Micic, the director of security at the Nikola Tesla Airport, said that many unpleasant situations occur due to a lack of knowledge, as inadequate and illegal use of drones has not been sufficiently recognized in the public as a security problem.

Regarding this, Micic pointed out at the panel that users were often unfamiliar with all the options the aircraft has and the limitations of its range. He added that the Nikola Tesla Airport was secure and protected from these aircraft, but that it was also interested in further upgrading the protection system.

– The aircraft doesn't need to be a drone and it doesn't have to be armed, but if it crosses the trajectory of another aircraft during the takeoff or the landing, when it is especially vulnerable due to a low altitude and low speed, making the pilot unable to react on time, the consequences can be catastrophic. Most air traffic accidents, over 80% happen during takeoffs and landings, and such situations can certainly contribute.

According to Micic, what should be done is to combine several protections systems and educate the public.

– Our directorate has adopted a rulebook on UAVs, but only the theoretical part is tested, without the possibility of practical training and introducing people to the dangers we've just discussed. Imagine only passing driving license tests, without ever getting into a car. There's no all-encompassing solution. The systems need to be constantly upgraded and the risks need to be reduced. The Nikola Tesla Airport has a protection system and is planning to upgrade it. It is in our interest to implement additional measures, especially when it comes to detection. Aircraft are getting faster and smaller and visual contact becomes almost useless in the defense from such systems. Since SMATSA is in charge of us, the system needs to be thoroughly tested – he pointed out.

Micic noted that new ways of aircraft control had appeared and that protection systems could stop the communication with the controller of the aircraft and prevent an incident in a protected zone.

– The bad situations happen when the aircraft is given the start and the end points and where there's no detectable signal between the aircraft and the operator. If you use such an aircraft in an area where there's infrastructure, such as airports or nuclear power plants, there should be repressive penalties, as such cases might even be treated as acts of terrorism – Micic points out.

Training, then registration

Serbia currently has 400 spots designated for UAV maneuvers. What's worrying, though, is that the number of illegal flights is 10 times higher than the number of legal, registered flights.

The Civil Aviation Directorate of Serbia is in charge of registering UAVs. Before the registration tag is issued, an insurance policy is filed.

Sima Markovic, the president of the Executive Board of the National Cluster of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Affiliated Sectors, says that the cluster currently has around 70 registered operators and that there are slightly more than 250 registered aircraft. However, the number of aircraft has increased in the past years, and around 5,000 are in use at the moment.

Markovic also emphasizes the importance of education, as plenty of owners register aircraft without having gone through training.

– As a non-profit organization, the national cluster has prepared a curriculum for the UAV control training. Last week, we communicated with the University of Defense in Belgrade. Their pilot academy will cooperate with us and we will educate flight instructors there. The entire education program, including the theoretical and the practical parts, will be sent to the Ministry of Education, which will certify the program. Anyone interested will be able to open a school based on that.

As he explains for eKapija, there are currently several education institutions interested in including this curriculum in their programs.

– The training program needs to define what the training grounds will look like and which exercises are meant for practical learning – Markovic points out.

Some of the UAVs that were presented at the conference can reach the speed of 150 km/h, whereas the larger ones can fly at up to 250 km/h.

Fast UAVs are available online starting at only EUR 200, and the potential damage can be much greater, it was pointed out at the conference.

S. Petrovic

A.D. Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd

Nacionalni klaster bespilotnih letelica i bliskih sektora Beograd

UO

Ministarstvo prosvete Republike Srbije

Hotel Hilton Beograd

Direktorat civilnog vazduhoplovstva Srbije

Vladimir Micic

UAVs

unmanned aerial vehicles

drones

airport security

registering UAVs

ASCE

Airport Security Convention and Exhibition

Tango Six Events

Sima Markovic