UK commercial operators are less restricted, but must meet a list of criteria before flying commercially. Commercial users in Britain also have to set
out what is called an operations manual before the CAA will grant permission for commercial flying, Mr Gabriel explains. This is a document produced by operators
to demonstrate they have completed testing certificates and received training to gain an understanding of regulations, how the drone will be operated and for what purpose. “The manual can run to many pages. For
example, mine is 40 pages long and includes statements on risk assessment, flight checklists, emergency procedures and compliance with the Drone Safe code,” Mr Gabriel adds. Australia and the US are very similar to the UK and operators must also demonstrate competency.
US latest drone rules
The US Federal Aviation Authority relaxed its laws in 2016. Until 29 August 2016, US rules required
operators to hold a pilot’s licence and have an observer on hand. A knowledge test is used for a Remote
Pilot Airman Certificate (RPAC) to certify the operator can work alone. Weight limits are not as permissive as
Australia and drones must weigh less than 25kg (55lb) – although waivers can be granted for larger machines. Height restrictions have also been re-
laxed from 61m (200ft) to 122m (400ft), in line with regulations in other countries. US drone operators are also allowed to
fly above any “affiliated persons”, which in- cludes everyone on the farm, making it easier to use cameras for crop analysis. Commercial use laws meant consultants
previously needed an exemption from the FAA to charge for drone services, but that is no longer required, as long as they are ol- der than 16 and hold an RPAC.
Crop spraying Since September 2016, farmers in Queensland, Australia, were granted permission to apply
Latest drone laws in Australia
Australia has seen a relaxation in rules after laws were amended in September 2016. The new rules created a number of exclusi- ons for commercial users. Remote operator certificate (ReOC) or re-
mote pilot licence (RePL) requirements to fly drones up to 25kg (55lb) no longer apply. Weight limit changes mean Australian far-
Licence exclusions
Excluded operation RePL ReOC 100g-2kg - commercial
2-25kg - private landowner
No No
25-150kg - private landowner Yes
No No No
mers can now fly drones up to 150kg (330lb), making it easier to carry heavier payloads for operations such as spraying. However, the extended weight limit is
restricted to those holding an RePL and to flights over land that is owned or lawfully occupied by the person who owns the dro- ne. They must also follow standard opera- ting conditions and ensure none of the parties involved receives remuneration for that work. Beyond visual line of sight, flying is per-
mitted in certain remote areas of uncontrol- led airspace Spraying rules mean some farmers are permitted to apply pesticides using drones.
pesticides from drones, joining farmers in the US, Switzerland, New Zealand and China. Pilots must be authorised by Australia’s Civil
Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) and hold spray operator qualifications. This is one area where UK farmers lag
behind. In the UK, spraying is yet to be permitted, although research work is under way to revise regulations. Chris Eglington, director at agricultural
drone specialist Crop Angel, explains that where countries have already adopted drone spraying, it is likely there is already existing laws allowing aircraft to apply pesticides. “It was a relatively simple adaptation of
their laws to introduce spraying from drones,” says Mr Eglington. In the UK it has not been as straightforward because helicopter spraying is only permitted through derogation for tasks such as bracken spraying in remote areas on difficult terrain. Drone spraying was also set back after the
CAA made a key revision to laws. “About 15 months ago a rule was brought in which said nothing could be dropped from a drone without special permission from the CAA,” Mr Eglington says. The reasons given were potential danger to
other aircraft and the possibility that loads could present a hazard if they fell. “It’s a pity because there are a number of benefits from drone spraying,” he adds. Mr Eglington, who farms in Norfolk, uses
drones for crop assessment and believes it provides a foundation for targeted spraying using the equipment in the future. “I can spot isolated problems with our
oilseed rape (canola) crops from aerial mapping. So there is a potential to target these areas more precisely, using smaller quantities of pesticide. It would save time, fuel and pesticide costs while reducing the risk of ground compaction,” Mr Eglington says. His team and other businesses, such as Harper Adams University and Northumberland-based tech firm Drone Ag, have been in dialogue with the CAA for about a year. They are making progress, but Drone Ag’s
Jack Wrangham points out that the CAA is just one of the legislative bodies covering drone crop spraying. “We must also gain approval from the Chemical Regulations Division [CRD],” says Mr Wrangham. The CRD regulates pesticide use and
requires testing of things like the chemical formulation itself and drift potential. Testing is scheduled to begin in 2018 and
Drone Ag will work with Crop Angel, Harper Adams University and an agrochemical manufacturer. The drones used will be 2m (6.5ft) in
diameter, weigh about 20kg (44lb) and carry a 10-litre (0.3gal) payload, 2-3m (6-10ft) above the vegetation.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 9 November 2017 ▶ 33
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