The Transport Malta Drone Portal is a webplatform that connects drone pilots with the aviation authorities (Transport Malta). Pilots can create flight plans on an approved map and notify this flight to the authorities via an easy interface. On the same interface which is called the Drone Portal, the authorities can review the created flight plan and approve the flight in case a certain level of risk has been detected.
After a flight is approved, the flight can be logged and tracked if necessary.
In case a flight is planned in a high risk environment, TM can decide to geofence the flight and request to track the flight by means of a drone tracker.
In order to efficiently streamline the process of flight requests, TM has decided to use a platform that ensures that all flight requests are uniform in format and correct. It offers also the possibility to drone pilots to not having to install multiple applications or upload several documents and sending them by mail.
The following flowchart explains the process from start to finish
The drone operator creates an account on the Drone Portal.
A flight is created by drawing a flight zone on the map, scheduling the flight, identifying the pilot and drone to be used. The operator can fully configure his account with multiple team members, drones, accessories and documents.
While drawing the flight zone, the flight map will indicate in which airspace the flight will be intersecting with. The operator can then still update the flight zone if desired. When needed, visual risk identification can be done as well.
A copy of the third party liability insurance is uploaded to the flight scenario.
Then the operator notifies the flight to TM all from the platform.
TM reviews the created flight and determines if the risk which is identified is mitigated sufficiently. For low risk flights (non-congested areas, low height, not above people and not in critical airspaces) a routine or automatic approval may be expected.
For flights that are not low-risk, TM may either reject the proposed flight or request further information or mitigations. It is possible that a tracking device needs to be attached to the drone in order to follow the drone in real-time and to be able to contact the pilot should the drone depart from its approved flight zone. Live tracking - if needed - is available to both the drone operator and Transport Malta.
Trackers are available at Transport Malta.