WorldWide Drilling Resource®

9 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® FEBRUARY 2020 New ISO Standard for Drones The global commercial drone market has skyrocketed in recent years. Where the pace of technology outruns regulations, international standards are essential to ensure safety and quality. A new ISO standard has been published to keep everyone in the industry on the same plane. ISO 21384-3, Unmanned aircraft systems - Part 3: Operational procedures , was recently published to meet that need. It is the first International Standard for UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) and specifies internationally agreed and ac- cepted requirements for safe commercial operations. The document applies to all commercial UAS regardless of size, categorization, application, or location, and represents the international best practice for the safe operation of all commercial UAS. The standard is structured to provide a logical pathway from core principles to specific requirements. John Walker, chair of the ISO subcommittee that developed the standard, mentioned there are hundreds of applications for small UAS alone that will benefit from the standard, including construction, safety, security, mining, maritime operations, and more. “The range of applications is growing fast, but at the same time, the industry is very much in its infancy, and there are a number of key obstacles to overcome before large-scale commercialization is achieved,” he said. “ISO 21384-3 will help resolve those challenges through providing an airworthiness framework for the global UAS industry, allowing for safer and more widespread use.” For a link to this website, visit worldwidedrillingresource.com