Drone Radar - Getting started with the basics 🚀
About
SkeyDrone Drone Radar
is a software tool designed for law enforcement, event organizers, geozone
managers and airports to enhance their situational awareness and improve safety
during drone operations.
Some fundamentals
To be able to easily use the Drone Radar application, first some fundamentals will be introduced. As a
start, the different types of sensors which are used to detect air traffic will
be covered, along with the terms ‘cooperative’ and ‘non-cooperative’.
The Drone Radar
gets its data not only from the one or more sensors that have been installed
for your organisation, SkeyDrone collects data from many different sources,
incl Mode-S radar data, telemetry C2 link... The data is split into three
main groups, which, depending on your license, can be visible. Depending on a
drone’s willingness to broadcast its drone-related information, drone detections
are deemed cooperative or non-cooperative.
- ADSB signals: cooperative
ADSB (Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is a transmission technology used in aviation
that enables aircraft to automatically transmit their precise position,
altitude, and other relevant information to ground stations and other aircraft.
It is mainly used by manned air traffic and is very rare to be used by unmanned
air traffic. As pilots utilizing ADSB willingly transmit a signal containing
their aircraft-related information, detected through an ADSB antenna, they are
categorized as 'cooperative' traffic.
- Direct Remote ID:
cooperative:
Direct Remote ID
(RemoteID) is a transmission technology used in unmanned aviation that enables
drones to automatically transmit their precise position, altitude, serial
number, and other information at a lower electrical cost than ADSB, hence its
use in the UAV industry. RemoteID is only used by unmanned traffic. Just like
ADSB, pilots using RemoteID are willingly broadcasting the drone’s information.
For that reason, it is also deemed ‘cooperative’.
- RF detection:
non-cooperativ:
Drones involved
in unlawful activities are generally not using RemoteID (or ADSB for that
matter). For that reason, the radio signal (RF) between the controller of the
drone and the drone itself is being detected using an antenna. Likewise, the
location of the drone, its altitude, serial number, and other information can
be detected. As these pilots are not broadcasting their information willingly
to third parties, drone detections originating from RF detection are deemed
‘non-cooperative’.
Control Zones
Control Zones,
not to be confused with controlled airspace, are zones established by your
organisation that allow your organisation to track traffic within these areas. If
unauthorized drones or other air traffic intrude a Control Zone, an alert will
be triggered. This traffic is then classified as being an ‘intruder’.
It's important to note that Control Zones created in Drone Radar will never supersede any officially approved Geozones managed by your organisation. Official Geozones cannot bz requested within the app and are not responsability of SkeyDrone. If you have any doubts or questions about regulations or legality, you can always contact the SkeyDrone team
- Flight Plans
When drone
pilots intend to fly their drones within an organization-created Control Zone,
they need a flight plan to carry out an authorized flight without triggering an
alert. These flight plans can be created using the SkeyDrone Drone Radar app, a
process which will be explained later. Additionally, if your organization has
obtained an official flight authorization within skeyes DSA or an operation
within Unifly UTM, it will automatically be visible within the SkeyDrone Drone
Radar app. These, along with the flight plans crafted within the app, are
collectively categorized under the label 'Flight Plans'.
Drones equipped
with a flight plan, regardless of complete conformity to that flight plan, fall
under the 'authorized' category. Deviating from the stipulated lateral area,
altitude, or time detailed in the flight plan classifies them as
'non-conforming'. Nonetheless, they do retain the 'authorized' classification.
It is
important to note that Flight Plans created in SkeyDrone Drone Radar will never
supersede any approved flight plans from any integrated UTM platform. To obtain
authorisation to fly in GeoZones, an official request must be submitted and
approved by the GeoZone manager in question. If you have any doubts or
questions about regulations or legality, you can always contact the SkeyDrone
team.
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