Sharing the sky

Sharing the sky

Vegetation is starting to grow again: there will be many operations to monitor and control the
growth of plants (agriculture, forestry, pruning, etc.). As a
telepilot, I’m going to be working more frequently in areas that are not inhabited, at least on the face of it ….
Moving away from built-up and populated areas means reducing the risk to third parties, but
what about wildlife, and more particularly the birds with whom we
share the skies?

When Regulation takes a back seat to Discernment
The regulations associated with drone flights in natural areas (protected or not) are
presented in the Guides on open and specific categories published by the DGAC [1,2]. In order to
supplement the information provided therein, it is possible to rely on the webinar “Les vols de
drones en espaces naturels” [3], the result of collaboration between the LPO, the Parc National des Pyrénées and
Clearance, which addresses, in addition to the regulatory texts in force, the interactions between drones
and wildlife.

Once we’ve identified the natural area in which our drone will be operating, and in around 75% of cases
there are no restrictions concerning wildlife, caution and good practices to
adopt are our best allies in minimizing the effects of drone flights on birds
(collisions, attacks, stress, nest abandonment, etc.). Indeed, the occurrence of a conflict situation
with a species is often totally fortuitous, depending on various factors such as
seasonality (migration, nesting), the bird’s activity at the time of the encounter (resting, hunting,
meals, …). Whatever the status of the natural area in which the flight takes place, there can always be
consequences for wildlife!

Different behaviours depending on the species
During an inspection of the power distribution network, I identified a kestrel
flying over my site of operation, gliding in wide circles, without giving me
the impression that my drone was of interest to it.
However, the circles in the sky narrowed and suddenly the bird of prey moved in the direction
of what it had certainly identified as an intruder in its territory. He made several intimidatingpasses, which gave me just enough time to bring the drone closer to my position to make itland. The hawk remained aggressive towards its target on the ground, however, and it took large gesturesaccompanied by shouts from me to make it give up. I must have looked like a heron…
Indeed, the heron, usually placid and silent, will of course
defend its territory and its offspring with firmness and determination, when the need arises.
And it’s the difference between these attitudes that surprises the telepilot responsible for the disturbance.
The animal’s wingspan is in the region of 1.50m to 2m, which is much larger than many of the
drones used in operation, and if we add to this a jerky flight around the drone, accompanied by shrill cries,
the surprise is considerable. The heron’s hostile behavior will continue until the intruder has left.
Much more impressive than a flight of pigeons, given the animal’s wingspan and cries of
, it’s obvious that the best course of action is to turn back.
More frequently, flying in the countryside sometimes brings us close to farms,
home to groups of pigeons. As the drone approaches, these will take flight andperform several norias around the machine, by way of intimidation. Intersections with the drone’strajectory are likely to be very close, with the pigeons not hesitating to brush against it,even triggering the on-board obstacle detection and avoidance system, whichwill play its part to the full. The air displacement associated with their formation flight is very perceptibleto a telepilot close to the scene, making it possible to follow them, although this will only last a fewmoments. Slowing down and moving away from the site is enough to bring the event to a close.

Keeping a low profile
The above examples of interactions with wildlife show that
bird reactions are always the result of disturbance to their ongoing activities, and they
let us know in their own way. It is therefore important for remote pilots to first measurethe impact that drone use can have on wildlife, and then totake the necessary measures to minimize any disturbance.In the same way that we stop our flight when a Rafale from the French Air Force orfrom the French Naval Aviation passes by to admire this magnificent machine, when a bird approaches our drone,we need to slow down or even stop in order to show any lack of hostility towards it. This
will enable us to observe its reactions before and after the change of trajectory, speed, etc.
Birds are also endowed with adaptive faculties and can sometimes accept our presence
if they don’t feel threatened.
In short, don’t insist on making the situation worse.

Fly safe!

Sources:
[1] Guide ” Usages de loisir et professionnels simplifiés des aéronefs sans équipage à bord – Catégorie
ouverte ”
[2] Guide ” Usage des aéronefs sans équipage à bord – Catégorie spécifique ”
[1] Webinar ” Les vols de drones en espaces naturels ” produced by the LPO, the Parc National des
Pyrénées and Clearance on March 23, 2023