Drone Collides with Airplane in Canada

By Alex Batty, MHI Marketing Communications Coordinator |@mhi_alex

Drones are a pretty trendy buzzword right now in last mile delivery, and while the possibilities are quite exciting, we’re still a long way off from deployment.

There are still a few problems to be ironed out.

On Monday, the story broke of a drone colliding with the wing of a commercial passenger airplane in Canada. The drone was flying much higher than the legal limit, hovering at about 1500 feet above the ground. Fortunately, the aircraft only sustained minor damage and was able to land safely, but it illustrates what is becoming a larger issue.

Gatwick Airport in London reported a drone passing directly over the wing of an aircraft on approach this summer, and Dubai’s airport, the third busiest in the world, is currently testing drone hunter technology after unauthorized drone activity forced the airport to shut down multiple times. In China, a commercial drone flew dangerously close to a passenger plane, leading to authorities detaining the drone pilot.

As drone traffic increases, it competes in airspace with planes, and since there are relatively few regulations for drone flight and no required licensing for piloting, unlike aircraft, drones quickly become wild cards that can endanger people.

Don’t get me wrong, I really, really love technology. I am a sci-fi geek in every sense of the word. I think drones are cool and have a lot of potential and think we can get to the point where they will be an asset in last mile delivery. But I am willing to wait on large scale deployment if it means putting into place clear regulations – and enforcing consequences for breaking those regulations – to protect people.

I remain optimistic, but please remember to be… cautious when moving forward with this innovation, because this could have been much worse.

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