MORE than 160 near-misses between aircraft and drones have been reported over just two years, papers show.
Originally developed for military use, the remote control devices are used by professionals and amateurs for photography, aerial surveys, search and rescue operations and more.
Users are required to stay clear of aircraft, airports and airfields and to a maximum height of 400ft and further restrictions apply to those with cameras.
READ MORE: ‘Dangerous’ dogs given one last chance by sheriff
However, despite the safety warnings, data from air safety body the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) shows a total of 163 near-miss incidents were reported in 2016 and 2017.
They include accounts from pilots flying at both international and local transport hubs across the UK and in the Scottish islands.
On one occasion, a Boeing 737 passenger jet was preparing to land on the flooded runway at East Midlands Airport in October 2016 when a drone passed just 30 metres from one of its wings.
The workload in the cockpit was already high as the captain was working out the calculations for landing during the severe weather conditions at the time.
According to UKAB, a collision was only “narrowly avoided”.
Meanwhile, a drone is said to have “put 130 lives at risk” after it nearly hit another aircraft in July last year.
The “very large” flying gadget passed directly over the right wing of the an Airbus A319 vessel which was approaching Gatwick, according to the incident report.
And last year a pilot for Scottish firm Loganair was forced to take evasive action after a drone came within only 20 metres of his plane as he prepared to land in Edinburgh.
That incident happened in May 2017, seven months before a pilot flying out of Kirkwall in Orkney reported one of the devices being flown in the vicinity of an airfield departure path, endangering other aircraft there.
The UK’s first reported near miss between an aircraft and multiple drones was witnessed by the crew of an Airbus A320 preparing to land at Heathrow in November 2016.
The pilots spotted a pair of white, orb-shaped drones alongside the aircraft at 5500ft over east London.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here