Flight terminator: what it is and when to use it

Drones and flight terminators. What they are and when to use them.

We have said that it is not a toy and that, if used improperly, it can become dangerous, and we will never stop repeating it!
Besides the due recommendations, what can be done if, for a number of contingent reasons beyond the pilot's control, the multicopter escapes the control of the remote controller?

To fly a drone in mixed scenarios and comply with the ENAC regulations on safety, there is a tool called a Flight Terminator.

What is it for and what does it do?

As the name itself says, it is a device that allows you, with a simple button, to stop all the operations and functions of your aircraft.
Basically, wherever it is, the drone stops working and falls inside the operations area that the operators have already secured beforehand.

You might also be interested in the article How to extend the life of our drone

When is it needed and when should it be activated?

Now essential to obtain ENAC permits to carry out flights and shootings in mixed areas, the flight terminator must be activated and used when external conditions no longer allow you to keep safe control of your aircraft, for example during a sudden solar storm or in the case of total loss of control due to extreme events.
Another case in which using the flight terminator may be practically unavoidable is when the drone runs into a magnetic field or when a fault caused by poor maintenance occurs, resulting in the loss of contact with the radio controls.

Why press the button and terminate the flight?

Unless we have a second communication channel with the drone, losing control of it leads us into a very dangerous situation in which damage of varying severity can be caused to property and people.
When it does not respond to commands, our drone is practically out of our control; it is preferable to bring it down while it is still within our line of sight, and therefore presumably still in a non-risk area.

One case above all happened last month in the USA, where a young man lost his Phantom, which suffered a fly-away (basically the drone kept on its trajectory undisturbed) until its batteries ran out. Unfortunately the batteries ran out practically over the White House, with potentially serious security risks.

That is why ENAC requires the flight terminator to be connected to a secondary channel and, even better, to the deployment of a parachute, to avoid losing the aircraft or causing excessive damage.

You might also be interested in the article
Parachutes: what they are, which ones to choose for your multicopter and why