The cool new thing at airshows apparently is the “drone cage,” where unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can be safely demonstrated without impinging on anything nearby, such as real aircraft, buildings and people.
This seems a little ridiculous at first glance. Are we so afraid of drones that we have to restrict their movement to a cage? At this summer’s EAA AirVenture show, the official Drone Cage will feature live demos of drones during the show, including obstacle course contests and education sessions. The EBACE show in May in Geneva, Switzerland, will include a “UAS zone” where demos will be flown inside a 40- by 40-foot netted pavilion.
I’m glad to see that drones are being welcomed at popular aviation events; this is a great way for attendees to learn more about these amazing machines. But...
Why are these shows restricting the drones to a tiny stage?
The true utility of a civilian drone is its ability to provide a sharply different perspective, usually by capturing still and video images from a height that would be impossible without a helicopter, which isn’t practical in many instances. While flying drones is fun—I enjoy flying my Yuneec Q500—what I really like about my drone is its utility as a camera platform. It is more a tool for photography than a fun flying machine. If I really want fun flying, I’ll opt for my radio-controlled glider or Piper Cub. The Q500 almost flies itself, with a little nudging here and there to make it go where I want.
So why the drone cages? Can’t these airshow operators set standards and, as they do with all other flying activities, expect and require the pilots to adhere to the standards? Wouldn’t it be great for the drones at AirVenture and EBACE to be able to fly up, say, 100 feet and capture some great imagery?
I think lots of people are still afraid of drones and they are projecting those fears onto every type of drone operation, especially at airports. There is a widespread misconception that drone flying at airports is illegal, and this is not true. In the U.S., at least, drones can be flown at airports with permission of the airport operator and ATC. Other countries are more restrictive. No one wants a drone flying in the path of an aircraft. That is clearly dangerous.
If drones are flown with high regard for safety by a competent pilot, however, there is no reason they can't fly just about anywhere, even at airports during an airshow. A clear standard for drone safety should be never to fly over anything that can be damaged if the drone loses power. In multi-copter form, these devices do not have a backup way to land gently; they do not autorotate. (Yes, I know there are ballistic parachute-type devices for drones). Airshows could easily create a box of airspace where drones could fly safely and at the same time capture some amazing aerial imagery.
We don’t need no drone cage. Rather, let’s develop sensible standards and training as we figure out how to integrate drones into the aviation infrastructure.