MUNCIE — Drones are everywhere, and they’re dangerous ... Or are they?
The Academy of Model Aeronautics, a proponent of responsible drone use, declared last week the devices don’t pose as great a threat as people think.
In a 16-page study analyzing more than 750 reported drone sightings in an August report by the Federal Aviation Administration, the AMA paints a far different picture about “close calls” than the one described by aviation’s national governing body.
According to the AMA’s analysis, just 27 events listed in the FAA’s original report were explicitly noted by the agency as being close calls. The FAA originally cited more than 600 instances of near collisions.
As of last week, there had been no official response from the FAA on the analysis, other than a statement from the agency saying it was preparing one.
Drones mischaracterized by FAA
According to Richard Hanson, the AMA’s director of government and regulatory affairs, the biggest issue for the organization was that the FAA failed to provide its own analysis of the data.
“It (led) people to the idea that these are all close calls or safety concerns,” Hanson said. “It was like a catastrophic event was imminent, based on their description. That’s an erroneous conclusion.”