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Registration and identification: worth the effort?

This article was originally published on Drone Alliance Europe’s website. More information on Drone Alliance Europe can be found here. In the midst of the on-going discussion over how EASA’s proposed ‘Open Category’ drones should be defined, there remains the issue of identification. Whether or not they are ‘toys’,  identifying them and their operators is vital to maintaining civil order. The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) hosted a workshop in mid-May to discuss how such a system might work in the UK. Despite a full day of discussion, there was agreement on only thing: there definitely needs to be a system of registration and identification. The broad spectrum of speakers that the RAeS invited made it difficult to find a consensus. Furthermore, there was a significant amount of speaker bias. The British Model Flying Association (BMFA) and Coverdrone (which provides insurance cover for drones) put themselves forward to set up and manage a unique registration system. Moving to a single supplier, closed system is not going to help at this stage. Nor can the RAeS be seen to promote one. Considering that the predominant factor behind the need for registration and identification is to allow enforceability, it was also interesting to hear the opinions of Andrew Hamilton. As a member of the Police Force’s Serious Collisions department, he noted that even if an armed robber doesn’t register his sawn-off shotgun, it doesn’t negate the benefits of a gun register. Similarly, the negatives of a drone registration system don’t outweigh the positives. However, the first hurdle to jump, and one that a full day of discussions couldn’t overcome, is how such a system should be initiated. On a more positive note, the wide array of speakers meant that those in attendance were treated to ideas and insights from across the industry. Moving away from the issue of drone registration, the conference also discussed how Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) traffic might be managed – the so called UTM. A highlight was the Technology Panel, in which Richard Parker of Altitude Angel discussed the ins-and-outs of his UTM system with two other experts in the field. Parker noted that UTM needs to be ‘The Internet of Flying Things’. Any UTM system must be created to enable the entire industry. This is where the issues are. The current system is led by the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), which are looking at UTM as both within their domain (a questionable proposition, as it will operate in currently uncontrolled airspace) and a revenue stream. The future UTM system may not fit that imperative. It must be based on safety rather than legacy. Throughout the course of the day, there were two issues that came up in practically every speech: education and funding. It was pointed out that improving the public level of drone knowledge would both dramatically decrease offences and, more importantly, improve the general public’s opinion on them. This leads to the second problem, that of finance. Any education program, registration system or UTM program requires investment, from both the industry and governments. As was evident during the workshop, there is minimal harmony within the industry. That is why it is so important that the industry supports the Drone Alliance Europe initiative. Until the relevant parties get on the same wavelength, it is unlikely that any form of registration or UTM system, no matter how ideally constructed, will be implemented.

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