“I’ve hit small to medium sized birds that have damaged my aircraft. When I think of drones — made of metal and plastic — in the same airspace as me and my passengers, I can’t help but think it would be very damaging. If it hit a windshield it would come straight through.”
Captain, Embraer
There is a proliferation of drone use for both businesses and hobbyists around the world.
Drones have been reported in shared airspace by pilots around the world. Like bird strikes, impact with a drone can do significant damage to engines, windshields and other critical components of aircraft.
If operated unsafely or in a restricted area — in airspace around an airport — a drone poses a serious risk to aviation and ground safety.
Recreational drones pose little risk to aircraft so long as they are operated according to the regulations and outside of commercial airspace.
Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used for commercial operations are required to adhere to stricter standards.
While there are different rules for commercial and recreational UAVs, both can be equally dangerous to an aircraft.
Recreational or commercial UAVs can pose a significant threat if they are:
Transport Canada guidelines specify that UAVs should not be flown:
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CF-18s scrambled for drone at Ottawa airport Read more