By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.ent
THE Government was yesterday praised for moving “swiftly” to seek to regulate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in The Bahamas, having now posted its draft regulations to govern their use.
The proposed regulations for Ariel Work Operations 2015 and Unmanned Aircraft 2015 by the Department of Civil Aviation outline the necessary requirements and certifications for the use UAVs as well as restrictions.
In February Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin noted that the Government was proposing legislation for the use of UAVs. Commenting on the matter at the time she said: “There are a lot of stories of aviation safety issues. There are three categories of user, the commercial, the hobbyists and the military, all of whom must be governed by regulations and we have none, with the issue of safety being paramount while not inhibiting legitimate use.
“My Ministry, in reviewing this new paradigm, will propose a framework of legislation that will govern usage, locale, height restrictions, operator certification, optimal use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking and operational limits in the appropriate circumstances.”
The use of UAVs or drones has sparked serious debate in the US, and local experts have called on the Government to ensure that the emerging industry is regulated in the Bahamas.
Bahamian aviation attorney Llewellyn Boyer-Cartwright, a former commercial pilot and Callenders & Co partner, has been among those calling for the Government to create legislation to regulate the emerging industry. He told Tribune Business: “I was very pleased to see that the Government has moved quite swiftly on seeking for regulate the use of UAV’s in the country. It certainly puts us at the forefront of the issue and ahead dog other countries in the region. It does appear that the guidance and collaboration of the FAA.”
The proposed regulations speak to airspace designations, certificates and licences, registration of aircraft, liability insurance, pilot licencing, flight plans, notification of launch and other restrictions.
Comments
GrassRoot 9 years ago
another line to be added to bottom of the statute of the great leader of the Great nation of the Bahamas, PGC: "enacted UAV legislation within a record time".
HarryWyckoff 9 years ago
I hope beyond all hope that Glenys Hanna Martin really did call hobbyists 'hobbits'
Sadly it's more likely it was the mistake of barely literate Tribune 'reporter'
But it made me laugh.
TalRussell 9 years ago
Comrades, before you start encouraging Bahamaland's security police to be shooting down Drones flying over your back yard, do you know that, if you add an attachment to your email of a naked picture being transmitted into or out of Bahamaland, the US's National Security Agency (NSA,) actually have retained via a special agreement with your Bahamaland government, the right to capture and retain a copy of your penis or vagina for their security files. Could we soon see our own Bahamaland's new secret intelligence agency capturing pictures of we "Junk." Oh yes, da sneaky US intelligence agencies, have deputized organizations like PRISM, Face Book, Yahoo, Google, to capture your private "Junk.
by TalRussell
TheMadHatter 9 years ago
So in other words the police and government can have drones, but ordinary citizens cannot - even though even the US which they keep referring to in the article do not have any such laws actually in place yet.
Once again, tough luck for Bahamians. Something nice and new? Not for you.
TheMadHatter
hadenoughofthecrap 9 years ago
Time to get rid of this stupid ass government man!
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