[P7_TOM]

I don’t expect many of the CASA crew in the ‘drone’ department have noticed it, but the UK CAA have had a very clever UAV ‘operational’ awareness campaign running up the Christmas break, anticipating the increase in ‘traffic’. The information presented is easily understood and well distributed. The part I really like is the clever idea to run a photographic competition, pictures taken by UAV from 400 feet. What a proactive, sensible approach. Bravo UK CAA.

Meanwhile, in Australia, where, provided you don’t live too close to an airport, you can still drink the water; what do we get – pages of dribble about drone pizza delivery. What a load of old bollocks. In the first place, particularly around built up areas, as any chopper pilot will tell you, the wind shear and mechanical turbulence even in light wind conditions can be lethal. It takes a great deal of skill to ‘operate’ at low level. Now this pizza delivery service want to start using ‘self guided’ drones to deliver their dreadful product - at the end of a 30 meter ‘rope’. It is a silly idea, but, IMO, even sillier are those who take a publicity stunt seriously and even respond in the press. Automatic, self guiding drones doing sling loads on GPS, in all weather conditions – Bwah hah hah.

UK CAA sane proactivity starkly contrasts the moronic, half baked CASA do nuthin approach.

Minister, the help you need is not available from CASA; get some before there is an incident.