The number of registered drone operators exceeds the number of manned aircraft pilots

Drone Avoidance: More Than Flying High

By Rick Durden

Without nearly enough fanfare, some excellent guidance on a subject that is
becoming increasingly critical for pilots was released two weeks ago. Entitled
Flight Safety in the Drone Age (FSDA)
http://www.secureav.com/DroneAge-Brochure-v1.0.pdf, it is a three-page
document that should be read and digested by every pilot. While the FAA has
enacted regulations concerning drone operations and the respected Academy of
Model Aeronautics http://www.modelaircraft.org/ has long provided best
operating practices and training programs for unmanned aircraft, until now
there has been little in the way of educational material for pilots when it
comes to protecting themselves in a world where the number of registered drone
operators exceeds the number of manned aircraft pilots and the danger of
unmanned—manned inflight collision is steadily increasing.

Flight Safety in the Drone Age was developed by the Permanent Editorial Board
of the Aviator’s Model Code of Conduct (AMCC) http://www.secureav.com/
initiative, an organization dedicated to providing tools for pilots that
advance aviation safety and citizenship. It admits an unpleasant fact right up
front—we’ve relied on “see and avoid” for aircraft separation in VFR flight
operations since Orville and Wilbur built their second airplane, and with the
small size of many drones and their ability to change direction very rapidly,
“see and avoid” has to be augmented with piloting techniques and potentially,
technology, to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions.

While drones do fall under the definition of “aircraft,” the level of knowledge
about, and willingness to comply with, aviation safety requirements on the part
of their operators varies greatly. FSDA recognizes the potential problem with
human nature and drones—just as there are pilots that are stupid enough to fly
low over a crowded beach because they think it’s cool, there are drone
operators who will try to see how close they can fly their drone to an aircraft
in flight. FSDA also mentioned something that was more than a little chilling
to me: drone operators may decide to fly their drones at night (unlighted) and
in IMC in controlled airspace. [...]