 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
RCMP still have eye in the sky Police have replacement for UAV that crashed last month
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, July 20, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
RCMP in Yellowknife will still have remote-controlled helicopter assets, even after last month's crash of one of its unmanned air vehicles (UAV).
The Draganflyer X4-P remote controlled helicopter was only in service with Yellowknife RCMP for a matter of months before crashing. - NNSL file photo
|
Staff Sgt. Bruce McGregor, UAV program co-ordinator for the RCMP in the Northwest Territories, confirmed a mechanical failure caused their Draganflyer X4-P to have a "hard landing" during a training exercise near the Yellowknife Shooting Club on June 11. The UAV was sent back to the manufacturer, Draganfly Innovations Inc., for repairs.
But Yellowknife RCMP recently acquired a second UAV in March, to be used as a replacement if its original UAV was damaged or destroyed. The aircraft cost about $25,000 each. McGregor said the RCMP will use the new UAV until the original is repaired.
The damaged UAV was purchased in March 2012 and was used in multiple deployments. Notably, it enabled RCMP to have a bird's-eye view of an explosive collision on Highway 3 near Fort Providence in February.
"They're huge assets to us," McGregor said about the UAV program, "We've seen a lot of success with them."
McGregor said he's not sure what caused the mechanical failure of one of their UAVs last month, but said there was no threat to public safety and no one was hurt in the crash.
"The use of UAVs is very much in the public limelight," McGregor said, "so we notified Transport Canada (of the accident)-- not because of any requirement, but because it's a new area we're getting into and it was a precautionary measure."
McGregor said the UAVs are not used for general surveillance of the public and they're required to follow strict Transport Canada regulations when flying them.
The UAVs aren't a direct replacement for other aircraft such as helicopters, McGregor said, but they can be used to help officers get a higher vantage point in emergency situations.
"They certainly do have a place," McGregor said, "if it saves one life it's worth its weight in gold."
| 
