AIRPORTS ARE NO PLACE FOR DRONES

Look! Up in the sky. It’s a bird… it’s a plane.

No! It’s a drone directed by a careless and non-thinking operator.

That was the dangerous scenario that played out in airspace near the Halifax Stanfield international airport late Wednesday evening.

“A lot of planes use that runway to take off and to see a drone that close is not a good thing,” RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dal Hutchinson said of the unmanned aerial vehicle that was spotted by a pilot departing from the airport’s secondary runway at about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

“They are becoming readily available to the average person because the costs seem to be declining,” Hutchinson said of drones. “Fortunately, we haven’t had a whole lot of incidents involving the drones. Most operators are being responsible and following the rules. Flying one near the airport is just not using common sense.”

The drone was spotted west of the airport, between the Highway 102 airport exit and Grand Lake. RCMP responded to the report and observed the drone flying in the vicinity of the airport. Extensive patrols were made, however, the drone and the operator were not located.

“The member wasn’t able to identify much about the drone,” Hutchinson said. “It was 9:30 at night, it was hard to see the size but there were a lot of white flashing lights. The way it was moving back and forth confirmed that it was a drone.”

The RCMP would like to talk with the drone operator.

“They can be operated from quite a distance and they seem to be becoming more and more sophisticated with technology,” Hutchinson said.

“We had an incident back in July with a collision scene down in the Valley and they were trying to get the LifeFlight (helicopter) in and there was a drone near the scene that impacted their departure.

“Anytime we see something like this we feel that it is important to put it out to the public as a reminder to speak to the seriousness of flying a drone in close proximity to the airport. Yes, it is illegal, there are rules that surround it, but it is also dangerous. You are endangering the lives of everyone on that plane.”

Transport Canada’s rules for recreational drone users include:

• may fly below 90 metres above the ground;

• at least 30 metres away from vehicles, vessels and the public (if your drone weighs more than 250 grams and up to one kilogram);

• at least 75 metres away from vehicles, vessels and the public (if your drone weighs more than one kilogram);

• at least 5.5 kilometres away from aerodromes (any airport, seaplane base or areas where aircraft take off and land);

• at least 1.8 kilometres away from heliports or aerodromes used by helicopters only;

• at least nine kilometres away from a natural hazard or disaster area;

• away from areas where operation could interfere with police or first responders;

• during the day and not in clouds; and

• within your sight at all times. Hutchinson said there is one simple rule for drones near airports.

“Take it elsewhere.” Using a drone in a reckless and negligent manner could lead to legal penalties, including fines and jail time.