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Date: 1/14/2016
WESTIVER AIR RESERVE BASE – Hundreds of thousands of people received drones for Christmas and now Air Force officials are urging people to understand their responsibilities and follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules.
If you fly a drone within the five mile radius of Westover, you must you must contact Airfield Operations at 557-2951.
Major Emily Koziol, chief of safety at Westover Air Reserve Base, explained to Reminder Publications that a two-pound bird can inflict $2.5 million in damage to a jet engine and asked people to imagine what a five, 10 or 15 pound machine of metal and plastic could do.
She said there have been 700 recorded near misses between aircraft and drones reported last year, three times the number the year before. With so many more drones now, Air Force officials are anticipating more incidents.
Although there has not been an accident as yet, Koziol said she was recently informed a downed drone was found on base property, indicating that someone had been flying it close to the facility.
The FAA rules state drones cannot be flown within a five-mile radius of the airspace of a military or commercial airfield, unless that facility has been contacted. Koziol noted that five miles covers more area than most people think.
A look at the FAA map shows Westover airspace includes much, if not all, of Chicopee, Ludlow, plus areas in Holyoke and Springfield. Combine that with the airspace of Barnes Air National Guard in Westfield and many communities across the Connecticut River are included. The air space for Barnes and Westover intersect over the Connecticut River.
Koziol then said people should consider the airspace of Bradley International Airport and Northampton Airport as well.
Koziol is a pilot who noted the base’s huge C-5 transport planes cannot easily maneuver away from a drone. She added C-5 pilots have trouble seeing small aircraft such as a Cessna and would not see a drone.
The Air Force, she noted, has spent time and money to understand the habits of birds in order to avoid collisions, including studying migratory habits.
“We can’t do that with a drone,” she added.
Koziol shared the following list of steps a drone owner must do:
First, register your drone (called an Unmanned Aircraft System by the FAA). As of Dec. 21, 2015, the law requires anyone owning a new UAS weighing between .55 lbs. and 55 lbs. before they fly. People who previously operated their UAS must register by Feb. 19, 2016. People who do not register could face civil and criminal penalties, according to the FAA.
After completing registration, owners will receive a personal registration number. If a person owns more than one UAS, each aircraft must be marked with that number. Any method may be used to mark the UAS, as long as the number is legible, according to the FAA. Registrants may put the number in the battery compartment if it is easily accessible.
You can register at http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration. Registration is quick and costs $5. As a bonus, if you register before midnight Eastern Standard Time, Jan. 20, your $5 registration fee will be refunded.
The FAA strongly urges individuals flying for hobby or recreation to follow safety guidelines, which include: fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles; keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times; remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations; don’t fly within five miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying; don’t fly near people or stadiums; don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 pounds; and don’t be careless or reckless with a drone.
Koziol received a small drone herself for Christmas and added that despite being an experienced pilot she found the controls to be “counter intuitive.” Her advice is to follow the FAA rules, read all the instructions and go slowly as you learn how to fly it.