FAA Testing Drone Detection System

The FAA has been testing a variety drone detection systems that it might soon unveil at airports around the country.

There are millions of drone owners around the world and the FAA admits that most people just fly them for fun, but there are many who don't know how to operate the drones in a safe manner. Last year alone, the FAA received about 1,800 different reports from pilots about bothersome drones flying near planes and the airport. This is an increase from the amount of complaints launched the previous year, which was said to be around 1,200.

The FAA has conducted drone tests for their detection systems at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Atlantic City Airport, New York JFK Airport, Helsinki Airport, Denver International Airport, and the Eglin Air Force Base.

The FAA also just recently concluded in a report that we don't have anything to worry about over drones when it comes to possible injuries that they might inflict. The report concluded that small drones, unmanned aircraft systems, are safer to operate than previously thought. According to the report, it's claimed that if a drone were to fall onto your head that the drone is going to absorb most of the energy in the collision and that means less of it will be transferred to your own body which might pose risk of injury.

It is the first scientific study of its kind which sought to analyze the risk of drones posed to people on the ground. They admit that earlier measurements had overstated the risks of injury that might come from a drone.

The amount of drones flying in US airspace is expected to increase steadily in the years to come. At each airport the FAA has been evaluating different technology and they are looking for ways to detect control signals. They have been looking to evaluate drones of all different sizes, so they need to know how many sensors it would take to protect the airport area. Their goal is for operators of drones to learn how to operate them safely.

Their evaluation efforts began back in early 2016 and the FAA has been coordinating with industry and government partners in order to evaluate different technologies that might be helpful in detecting drones around airports.

For the Dallas area, Gryphon Sensors was the participating partner. That system that was created by Gryphon Sensors, is able to use radar, radio frequency sensors, and it has an electro-optic camera to try and spot drones flying in the area.

For their drone detection efforts, the FAA has partnered with:

• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Defense
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Federal Communications Commission
• Customs and Border Protection
• Department of Energy
• NASA
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Justice
• US Secret Service
• Bureau of Prisons
• US Capitol Police
• Department of Transportation.

Once they complete their evaluation of the different drone detecting technologies, then the FAA plans to use that information to develop minimum performance standards for effective UAS detection technology that might eventually be unveiled across the country.

Pics:
Pixabay
UASVISION
FAA

Sources:
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/aviation/sky-talk-blog/article147398709.html
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/dji-faa-report-drone-safety/
https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/faa-evaluates-drone-detection-systems-dfw/