Droner - et økende problem for luftfarten

Airplane Pilots Reporting Increase In Drone Encounters In The Sky

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - The Federal Aviation Administration bans the commercial use of drones but the high-flying devices are so popular with hobbyists, they are becoming a threat to airplanes. 

Reports obtained by CBS4 Investigator Rick Sallinger found nearly 200 FAA reports of drone interference with planes and helicopters. The reports come from across the country. 

There are also highly publicized incursions, such as the drone landing on the White House lawn and one flying over an appearance by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

And YouTube is filled with videos of drones crashing into everything from power lines to smokestacks and skyscrapers. 

Companies that sell drones in Colorado are now trying to prevent problems. Josh Gilson is a co-owner of "Multicopter Warehouse" in Castle Rock, a store that offers free classes for drone users. 

"There's always a danger of crashing," he said. "It's just using your better judgment and not flying over people and cars."

The FAA strongly encourages recreational users not to fly drones near people and especially not stadiums or other large crowds. 

The drones are already banned in national parks because they can intrude on wildlife. But that restriction doesn't cover all animals, which can actually put low-flying drones in danger of being attacked by animals, like dogs. 

The rules on drones are just for commercially operated drones. Those drone operators must pass a knowledge test, be vetted by the TSA and keep the drones in visual sight at all times. 

The FAA does have recreational guidelines but they simply suggest drone users avoid being careless or reckless. 

"Can you regulate stupidity?" asked Multicopter Warehouse co-owner, Kerry Garrison. "That's what it boils down to, and we have known throughout history that doesn't work."

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FAA CAUTIOUSLY SUGGESTS RELAXED 'LINE-OF-SIGHT' RULES FOR DRONES

Like trying to map the clouds, the legal and regulatory landscape of unmanned aerial vehicles in the United States is subject to frequent change. Projects like AirMap are attempting to map that world, but it's new changes from the FAA that might clear the runway for drone users.

When the FAA announced its new drone rules earlier this year, they were a step forward for many commercial drone users. However, they also placed an insurmountable obstacle for drone delivery companies: Drones, at all times, had to be within line of sight of the pilot. This was a foreseeable problem for Amazon's planned autopilot drone delivery services. So even though the FAA granted Amazon an exemption to test drones, Amazon blasted the rules as still too restrictive for what, by design, has to be an out-of-sight service.

Now it looks like the FAA is considering a change to its strict rule that drones only be operated within line of sight of their pilots. First-person-view piloting, where the drone pilot sees what the drone sees as it flies, might be a feasible alternative to line-of-sight flying. That is, if future goggles can give drone pilots better midair situational awareness.