Certified drone company targets freight industry

Although Africa has been
trailing behind in the drone
business, globally one of the
most explosive new growth
industries in recent years,
SA has now taken a step
forward with the licensing of
the continent’s first company
certified to train pilots and
operate drones.
This as the Cape Town-based
UAV Industries received its
remote operating certificate
(ROC) from the SA Civil
Aviation Authority (SACAA).
According to the
company’s COO, Braam
Botha, the industry
is in urgent need
of upskilling and
compliance. This
because there is
only a handful of
training providers
in the country,
and thousands of
uncertified – and
therefore illegal –
pilots.
Already one of the
country’s leading training
providers, it is now the only
company on the continent
licensed to provide insured and
legal flights using their own
pilots for various industries
in SA.
And, Botha told FTW, along
with the likes of the film,
agriculture, utilities, insurance,
and property sectors, UAV is
also targeting the areas of the
freight industry where drones
are already being globally
developed as industry tools.
He acknowledged the likes of
the express distribution sector,
where drones are already in
the trial phases as delivery
vehicles for small parcels – with
a specific focus on deliveries to
outlying destinations.
“We are moving towards
that industry with both drone
operation and pilot training for
that type of work,” said Botha.
And, indeed, UAV has
already worked with operations
in the warehousing sector
on their use of drones, and
will also explore other areas
of the shipping and logistics
industry where drone usage is
applicable.
“We have already trained
over 120 pilots this year, and
will be able to immediately
bring economies of scale and
accessibility to the sector
with trained pilots in major
provinces,” said Botha.
But, as the local industry
starts to grow, he pointed
out that dangers existed.
“Collisions,” he said, “will
rapidly become an inevitable
part of operating. And the
greatest concern is that SA
companies may not realise they
are employing non-certified
drone pilots – which puts
companies, property, and
potentially lives, at significant
risk.”
Fundamentally, Botha told
FTW, it was about operational
control in airspace. “This is
shared by all sorts of aircraft.
But, when you’re in an urban
area, you might be flying
over people or over a road or
buildings, and there are risks
attached.
“And unless you have gone
through the training, been
approved by the SACAA, and
have an ROC in hand, you may
not fly. It’s a legal necessity,
and as far as we’ve experienced,
it’s the only way you can be
insured.
“Businesses should know this
and need to ask the questions of
the pilot – are you insured, and
are you and your drone legal?”
Botha adds, “For hobbyists,
that’s not to say you can’t
fly. The South African
Model Aircraft Association
(SAMAA) has a number of
SAMAA-approved fields for
their members and provides
insurance for model flyers,
but you can’t make an
income on the back of a
SAMAA membership.
To make a living,
or work within
a corporate
environment,
the legal process
requires two
licences – an Air
Service Licence from
the Department of
Transport and you
need your ROC from
SACAA.
On top of that your drone
needs to be registered and
approved by the SACAA and
the individual needs a drone
pilot's licence. You’ll need
insurance for third party risk
– a drone crashing into a car –
but for the most part you can’t
get this unless you’re a legal
operator. I often compare it to
a courier company not being
insured or insuring its drivers.