UAS/RPAS (‘Drones’) on squadron

Drone security incident reporting, through the MOD, asks more information on incident, not just that it was a drone. Size, speed, height, direction, drone description, etc.

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Please note… you inform them, not ask for permission. The IBN will explain. The team have worked really hard with the BMFA/SAA to make this easy for those who wish to do it.

I’m just sorry both didn’t get released at the same time.

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I have checked and had a really quick reply. This will be changed to an SIR and they will add a Drone Incident drop down.

I’ll get the changes made later this week. Thanks for pointing this out.

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Same as we’re still flying BetaFPV drones at NASC despite them having not been added to the approved list (when that was publicised)

Absolutely rubbish.

It was specifically approved for NASC and that approval will eventually make its way into the 2 FTS OM when we have time.

Perhaps speak to those who know about these things rather than spreading hearsay.

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Do you honestly believe that it would be in front of a national audience if it wasn’t approved ?

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You must be new

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Unfortunately it wouldn’t be unbelievable, it’s quite common for our big ticket national events to not comply with policy. (See RIAT continuing during a red weather warning while events in Amber areas were cancelled, see events taking place while in draft on SMS and many other examples).

Glad that’s not the case here, I think people need to get used to the idea that in you we have a HQAC SME that will actually engage with them in an open way.

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Great to hear it was approved by our new Chief Pilot & CoC, your own posts from earlier in this thread suggest the same thing has been run previously without proper approval or assurance (well the posts didn’t exist to approve or assure it).

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I just want to nudge a little bit. We’ve had a new policy published which you as the ‘policy owner’ (I guess?) have said not to use until we have an IBN and also the OM that goes with it. To anyone not on this forum, this is likely pretty confusing.

Can I suggest the policy be withdrawn again from Sharepoint until the IBN and OM are actually ready, and it all get re-published together?

Things change and we managed to get their use approved with some caveat which the person in charge of that area was aware of.

I’m more about finding a way than saying no. But we need a starting point.

Oh they are all ready. The OM has been approved for a year and the IBN was approved weeks ago with the ACTO. This has been chased today.

I’m as frustrated by this as everyone else, including some senior staff at HQ. I honestly have no idea what’s happening.

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Welcome to our world, I guess :confused:

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Perhaps we should have somewhere on SharePoint that shows these specific approvals?

That would make it transparent across the organisation, and easy to find out without having to email?

The IBN had just come out:

Whilst this ATCO details the pathways towards a resumption of outdoor flying of all RPAS, we are not releasing the 2 FTS Operating Manual for the time being. As such, outdoor drone flying (multi-rotor and fixed wing) remains paused.

Eh?

Normal for RAFAC unfortunately!

This was previously explained but I’m happy to reiterate.

We have a regulatory requirement to log all of our outdoor flying. This includes by whom, where, when, and which drone. To prevent a total paperwork nightmare and huge burden locally, the team have identified a SaaS solution to allow it to be done largely automatically. It’s been tested and works well.

We started the MoD approval process for this software some time ago now, but until approval is gained we will not be rolling out outdoors flying.

This is my decision and I want to do it right first time and not have a half baked solution that we need to change in a few months. I know it’s frustrating for everyone but this ensures we meet all of our legal requirements as an operator as well as a pilot, whilst also protecting the pilots from vexatious complaints, etc.

There are only 3 of us working on this project and its scope is enormous. It’s taking more time than any of us would like but that’s due to external factors that we can’t control.

If you’re interested, the system is called drone logbook. But more on that through official comms nearer the launch.

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Can you elaborate on why that is?

Surely if units register their own Op ID there is no risk against the RAFAC as a wider org?

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Sounds really good, I suspect people just get fed up with the disconnect where things are allowed at a national level but not local. This isn’t a criticism to you by the way, I had my reservations when you first commented but all the stuff you’re saying now is showing that you’re moving things in the right direction with transparency as well!

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