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Drones – modern unmanned aerial vehicles

Drones – modern unmanned aerial vehicles: A few years ago, the drone was synonymous with luxury that few people could afford – the cost of such a toy was quite high. Currently, small drones can be afforded by anyone who dreams of such a small toy – the cheapest drones can be bought as low as several hundred zlotys.

What are drones?

A popular drone is an aircraft that does not need an on-board crew during the flight. Drones can be controlled not only remotely, but also automatically. Unmanned aerial vehicles are becoming more and more popular among private individuals, however, they are widely used in the armed forces, e.g. for observation.<

What types of drones are there?

Drones can be divided into many different categories. One of the basic categories is the level of advancement and purpose – the type of drone has a big impact on the price. Depending on the level of advancement, the following models can be distinguished:

amateur – the most simple, one of the cheaper on the market. They are not suitable for any specific tasks, they are good for people starting their adventure with the drone.
semi-professional – they are more expensive than amateurs, but have much more possibilities. They often have a built-in camera and are less susceptible to external factors. This type of drone is an ideal solution for photographers – most cameras can be placed on them without any problems.
professional – they are the most technologically advanced and, unfortunately, much more expensive

Drones can be divided according to their construction, there are several types of drones:

flying
airframes
running or jumping
flying

When buying a drone, what is worth paying attention to?

When purchasing a drone, it is worth paying attention to a few key parameters. The parameters to consider when buying a drone are:

range – the distance at which the drone can move away from the pilot held in the hand of the controller. The cheapest drone models can only be 30-50 meters away from the pilot, and professional drones up to 8 km.
working time – depending on the battery, the drone can fly from several to even several dozen minutes. Unfortunately, the need to constantly replace the batteries or recharge the batteries is not a pleasant thing.
drone control method – most often drones are equipped with controllers; some drone models work with mobile applications on smartphones
camera – even the cheapest drones are equipped with a camera for recording short videos or taking photos. Unfortunately, the cheapest drone models do not take photos of too high quality.
maximum payload is an important parameter, especially important in professional drones.
GPS module – allows you not only to easily locate the device, but also to show geographic data where the photo or video was taken
housing and quality of workmanship – before buying, it is always worth checking the opinions of users who have had the opportunity to use a given drone model. Increasingly, manufacturers add spare propellers – they are most often damaged.

Drones in Polish law

Polish law is often associated with backwardness, even with communism, but in the case of drones, Polish law is one of the most modern in the world. At the beginning of 2019, new regulations came into force, which very precisely regulate drone flights within range and beyond the operator’s sight. Currently, you can fly a drone with a total weight of up to 25 kg without a special permit for recreational or sports purposes. The lack of a permit also applies to drones with full equipment, i.e. a camera or a camera. Remember that the drone in uncontrolled airspace must fly within the operator’s line of sight. According to the law, it is strictly forbidden to fly near and over airports. It is also forbidden to fly drones above 150 meters.
If the drone is to be used for commercial use, then the drone owner must have a UAVO qualification certificate – it is necessary to pass the exam, undergo a medical examination and take out compulsory third party liability insurance.

Can drones help in the fight against COVID-19?

At the beginning of April, a drone was used for the first time to transport a sample for testing for COVID-19. The use of drones for medical transport of samples will not only accelerate their transport, but it will also be safer. The Civil Aviation Authority has shown that the Polish drone industry is ready to provide modern services, including medical transport. Naturally, the first test flight with test samples was made in Warsaw. The drone’s flight path has not only been thoroughly checked, but also analyzed.
Poles are the first in Europe to have the PANSA UTM system, which allows not only full management of drones in the airspace, but also the launch of e.g. PANSA UTM also allows the separation of drones in the airspace from traditional air traffic.

The Civil Aviation Authority has announced that the PANSA UTM system for drone management may soon be integrated with 112 or state registers. Naturally, professional drones are the only ones in which this system can be installed.