UAVs to service mines in Qld

[layman]

News item on ABC Drones to conduct mine aerial surveillance - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/drones-to-conduct-mine-aerial-surveillance/3979732)

UAV Australia have ordered 2 planes (for Gladestone & Mackay) to provide aerial surveillance and for delivery of "critical spare parts" (up to 30kg).

Quote from the company "The idea of taking humans out of the scenario means it's cheaper."

Wonder whether this will work (the delivery side of things at least).

regards
Neil

[TWT]

"A UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] can carry a critical spare part of up to around 30 kilograms as long as it fits in the payroll bay," he said.:p........

[falconx]

there working in conjuction with Customs and border protection

[neville_nobody]

I find it hard to believe that UAV's are cheaper to acquire to run than some dodgy baron or 210 and have much better payload than 30kg.

"The idea of taking humans out of the scenario means it's cheaper.

"Secondly you can push the aircraft to its absolute limit without the worry, I guess, of human life being at stake and they can fly in inclement weather conditions.

"For example, if the aircraft does go down, all you are losing is an air frame and not people on board."

Not sure if the insurance company wants to hear that.......

[Lodown]

UAV's will be in a lot of places in years to come. Police departments all over the world are looking at them. If Airservices hasn't already got something in the pipeline on managing them inside Australia's airspace, then they better hurry up. Already fire fighters in the US are using the small military units to get an overview of fires in progress. Television networks won't be far behind. Not a bad gig for retired or medicalled pilots.

[Tiger35]

CASA runs flying operations in Australia, not Airservices, they only do ATC RFFS and support systems.

See AC101-1(0) issued in 2002.

It details the way that UAVs are to be operated.

[Flying Binghi]

"critical spare parts" (up to 30kg).


I can see it now, coal mine foreman orders emergency replacement fer the broken down 100 ton loader...

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[Lodown]

Tiger35, perhaps a confusing post of mine. AsA will need to integrate operations for UAV's. There's a money-making opportunity to rent a bank of connected consoles to UAV operators with associated training that link in with TAAATS and ATC, or perhaps get some additional training for ATC so that they can operate (???) the UAV's. If AsA aren't doing anything about it yet, then I can imagine a little mess happening when someone wants to commence operations on a commercial scale.

[Flying Binghi]

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...AsA will need to integrate operations for UAV's...


I guess ADSB will help..:)




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[CaptainMidnight]

Tiger35, perhaps a confusing post of mine. AsA will need to integrate operations for UAV's. There's a money-making opportunity to rent a bank of connected consoles to UAV operators with associated training that link in with TAAATS and ATC, or perhaps get some additional training for ATC so that they can operate (???) the UAV's. If AsA aren't doing anything about it yet, then I can imagine a little mess happening when someone wants to commence operations on a commercial scale. It is still CASA's problem. Airservices is just the ATC provider.

It is CASA's responsibility to determine the airframe and equipment standards, what is required for operations in CTA, including by CASA's ATS people what operator procedures are required and what separation standards are to be applied by ATC. They may decide that ops in CTA may require transponder or ADS-B, and/or radio reporting and flight planning.

Or in fact nothing at all, if ops are confined below 400FT AGL away from aerodromes. Those are the conditions under which model aircraft operate in CTA right now, and one could argue that small UAVs present no greater risk when operating under the same conditions.

If CASA try to mandate for small UAVs higher levels of equipment and reporting standards than model aircraft when operating in the same height band they'll be creating chaos on ATC frequencies when the use of UAVs for many uses increase.

[superdimona]

I can see it now, coal mine foreman orders emergency replacement fer the broken down 100 ton loader...

Or you know, a new engine computer for a horrendously expensive mining truck. Or a hard-to-get oil filter. Or a circuit board that controls a dragline.

UAVs are a perfect application for this.