A nationwide analysis of drone activity led by researchers at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University documents increasing growth in the use of drones and reveals “hot spots” where the risk of a mid-air collision with manned aircraft may be higher.
The study, which was conducted for the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), provided critical information characterising patterns of when and where small uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) are flying — in order to assess and possibly mitigate any potential hazards associated with those patterns as drone use increases.
Writing for the university’s news site, Michaela Jarvis noted that the report found that small UAS operators sometimes fly above the 400-foot ceiling established by the FAA for drone flight.
“Study data suggests that a sizable number of small UAS flights take place above that altitude, which could impact the operation of manned aircraft,” Dr. Ryan Wallace, associate professor at the university’s Aeronautical Science Department and principal investigator of the project, told Jarvis.
Of 6,037 documented flights that had associated altitude information, at least 573 hit an altitude of between 400 and 500 feet, and at least 781 flew to 500 feet or above, according to the study.
Taking flight duration into account, Jarvis said the researchers calculated that drones flew in airspace typically used by manned aircraft about 10 percent of the total cumulative flying time that was observed. The data also suggested that flights above 500 feet were probably recreational, rather than commercial, based on the types of drones used. Some of the drones that flew above 400 feet may have still been operating with FAA approval — such as under a waiver or certificate of authorisation — but the research did not discern those distinctions.
Heightened risk is also associated with small UAS flying near airports, especially heliports, which are not noted on aeronautical charts. The researchers analysed 43 aerodromes of varying types and found that small UAS were detected operating closest to heliports at distances within 3,000 feet. Consequently, the report specifically recommends including heliport locations on aeronautical charts to make drone operators more aware of those locations.
Dr. Brent Terwilliger, associate professor in the Embry‑Riddle Worldwide Department of Aeronautics and contributing researcher, said the most important part of the analysis was its creation of “a real-world, data-driven picture of how small UAS are actually being used in the National Airspace System,” adding that such information is “essential for shaping informed, practical policies and technologies that will enable safe, scalable integration of UAS as operations and autonomy continue to expand.”
Also involving researchers from Kansas State University and Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research, the study was conducted using sensors placed across the country that collected data from Remote Identification signals, which the FAA has required registered drones to transmit since 2023.
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