Aardvark Daily

Please visit the sponsor!

They can not help themselves

Regulators... sigh!

For a long time I've been praising Transport Canada for their commonsense, risk-based regulations covering the operation of what they call "microdrones".

Under Canadian regulations, any drone that has a mass of less than 250g is categorized as a "microdrone" and is really only subject to three rules:

1. Don't endanger ptjer people
2. Don't endanger other people's property
3. Don't fly in no-fly zones

That's right... the Canadian regulator has resisted the temptation to make themselves look stupid by attempting to regulate a very low-risk type of craft as if it was a giant multi-Kg drone with huge flesh-cleaving propellers and enough mass to kill anyone it might fall on.

If only other regulators elsewhere in the world were this smart.

The proof of Canada's intelligence in this matter can be seen by the resulting total lack of deaths, serious injuries or property damage caused by these "microdrones", despite the lack of prescriptive rules governing their use.

These tiny microdrones are used by countless people each and every day with millions of flights logged since the non-rules came into effect and yet, everyone is safe.

In fact, the only significant drone "incidents" in Canada have been as a result of police incompetence -- having flown their own much larger drones into their own helicopter and a private light-aircraft. Once again however, despite the police drones being much larger and potentially more dangerous, there were no deaths or even injuries.

The bottom line is that drones (outside the theatre of war) are intrinisically the safest form of aviation we've ever developed.

Of course that doesn't stop retarded regulators in many countries trying to restrict and regulate them as if they were a potent vector of death and destruction. What does that tell us about the intelligence and competence of those regulators?

Sadly however, I have to report that even Canada has succmmbed to the temptation to over-regulate these craft.

Transport Canada has now announced that, despite their perfect record of safety, microdrones can no longer be flown at "advertised events" without first obtaining a "Special Flight Operations Certificate".

Apparently this has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with the fact that a few event organisers didn't like the fact that people could legally fly these tiny drones around. I guess they figured that instead of buying tickets, those drone operators could stand outside the venue and watch through the camera of a drone -- thus depriving them of ticket sales.

This is pretty bad.

When a regulator whose responsibility is supposed to be one of ensuring safety decides to sell out and instead become part of a protection racket for the events industry then questions need to be asked.

Oh Transport Canada... you were doing so very well -- and then you came up with this crap.

Of course they're still far better off in Canada than we are here in New Zealand. Our drone regulations (CAR101) haven't been updated for a decade now and despite claims that they're "risk based" we still have the ludicrous situation where folding an A4 sheet into a paper aeroplane and throwing within 4Km of an airport is illegal. Indeed, this is an act that cold earn you or your children a very stiff fine.

CAA's response would doubtlessly be that they would never prosecute such a trivial infringement of the rules -- which means they're sending the message that "sometimes it's okay to break the rules" to all those playing along at home. Can they complain therefore, if someone breaks a somewhat more important rule?

Good rules do not rely on discretionary enforcement and the injustices that tend to flow from such stupidity.

To their credit however, CAA do state, in their "Briefing for the incoming Assiciate Minister of Transport 2025" document that:

Who's going to fix that then and how long must we wait?

<humour>How many five-year-olds must be locked up for throwing paper darts in the carpark at Auckland airport before changes are made?</humour>

Carpe Diem folks!

Please visit the sponsor!

Here is a PERMANENT link to this column

Rank This Aardvark Page

Change Font