CANBERRA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese company DJI, the world's leading manufacturer of drones, has called for the Australian authorities to crackdown on dangerous flying practices.
DJI executives recently presented the drone safety whitepaper to officials in Canberra, recommending 10 changes that should be "implemented without delay" including remote drone identification and new drone incident reporting standards.
In an interview with News Corp Australia, Adam Lisberg, DIJ's communications director in North America, said that irresponsible drone pilots had to be punished.
"It sounds counterintuitive... But it would be irresponsible for us to say, okay, we're making these really cool things, now just deal with the consequences," he said.
"We have seen around the world officials saying one really bad incident with a drone is going to set back all the progress the industry has made. It's important that everyone takes the steps necessary to make sure drones remain safe."
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) announced that mandatory flying licenses and drone registration could be introduced from July.
Under the plan anyone who intends to fly a drone that weighs more than 250 grams must first pass an online education course.
DIJ has announced that it will build ADS-B receivers into all of its drones over 250 grams, which would receive information from nearby aircraft to prevent crashes.
CASA spokesperson Peter Gibson welcomed the safety initiative.
"The rule at the moment is that if there is an aircraft near your drone, you must ground your drone," he said.
"That relies on you knowing there's an aircraft there.
"You may not be able to see it. This technology could help people be in compliance with the laws."
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