Flying a drone: which certificate do you need?
When it comes to flying drones for civil and professional purposes, the European regulations currently in force provide for a classification based on the level of...
· 4 min read
What is a transponder? Here is a simple explanation
Archived article. Article from 2020: since 31 December 2020, European rules (EU Regulation 2019/947) apply in Italy, and the information on SAPR, certifications and certificates described here is no longer in force. Read which certificates are required today
It is a reality before everyone's eyes: airspace is increasingly dotted with drones. But that is not all, because in the not-too-distant future the skies will be ever more crowded. Whether they are devices used by law enforcement, by Amazon, Zip Line or simply by photography professionals, the fact is that more and more drones will be flying over our heads, in response to an ever-growing demand for services.
Drones are in fact used, as we well know, in countless sectors and will be used even more in the years to come.
These are the figures emerging from recent statistics compiled by ENAC, the authority responsible for control and safety in civil aviation.
Monitoring large areas is the first need drones are called upon to meet, and they do so with precision and in complete safety.
But things seem to be getting better and better, and today there is talk, not by chance, of transponders for drones, the novelty planned by ENAC that makes air navigation even safer.
Here is exactly what it is.
Drone transponders: what exactly are they?
There is more and more talk of transponders for drones, and rightly so.
Yes, because this is an electronic device to be installed on aircraft that transmits a coded identification signal via radar.
A wave is emitted in a given direction by an aircraft and this wave is returned to the antenna, thus making it possible to know the aircraft's orientation quite accurately. Simply fantastic, as well as extremely important in terms of safety, considering that by working this way transponders for drones will make it possible to guide all vehicles within the same airspace while preventing them from colliding.
What sets drone transponders apart from other, more common devices
Unlike other more common and well-known instruments that use satellite navigation, transponders for drones, as also stated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are able to transmit the follow-up periodically in a precise and unalterable way.
The novelty, however, is that today these electronic identification devices must be installed on any drone, so as to make it possible to intercept the position through satellite navigation and at the same time receive the signal constantly.
This is because all drones must guarantee control of the safety distance to avoid possible impacts and collisions in airspace.
A specific measure had been issued on the matter - specifically a European regulation valid for drones above 249 grams in weight - which, most likely because of Covid-19, will be postponed to 2021 with an ENAC amendment that could also contain other changes. The electronic identification device made in France closely resembles what will be required by the aforementioned measure, so all that is left for us Italians is to take inspiration.
The only devices, therefore, that can fly even without an ENAC certificate are those weighing 249 grams or less. It is therefore no surprise that these are the drones - and not only - that are the most in demand and popular among all those on the market today.
Among these is the Mavic Mini, an extraordinary, ultra-light and fast gem, suitable for everyone.
The regulation of drone navigation in airspace is finally becoming stricter, in everyone's interest. It was indeed time to improve their identification and localization worldwide.
