Safety Risks and Benefits of Flying a Drone at Night – SM4 Safety News…

It’s true that more commercial and personal small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) are populating the skies, not only during daytime hours, but also at night. The FAA reports 260,276 certified drone pilots in the U.S. as of January 2022. As flying a drone at night becomes more popular, it is important to weigh the inherent safety risks and benefits of night flight and to take into account some safety practices.

The FAA defines night as “the time between the end of evening civil twilight [period of sunset until 30 minutes after sunset] and the beginning of morning civil twilight [period of 30 minutes prior to sunrise until sunrise].”

There are many purposes for flying a drone at night, such as search and rescue, firefighting, surveillance, law enforcement and security, agriculture, entertainment, videography or locating a stable drone.

Drone Night Flight Risks
There are inherent risks in flying an sUAS at night. It is easier to lose visual line of sight of the drone, the pilot can’t see obstacles easily and night physiology and night illusions can occur.

The FAA describes night physiology and night illusions and how to curtail their hindrances on its website, noting that, “Rods are the primary receptors for night vision. The concentration of cones can make a night blind spot in the center of the field of vision. At night, sharpness… color, depth perception, and judgment of size may be lost. Night illusions can cause confusion and distractions during night flying.”

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