In any open and large gathering like the annual Banking Community Cocktails held in the historic Fort San Antonio Abad at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) complex and golf tournaments, drones are being used to capture the momentous event.
Yes Virginia, drones are now considered an essential tool not only as a hobby of drone enthusiasts but likewise for chronicling events and posterity as well as for merchandise delivery like Amazon in selected states of the US.
Capt. Manuel Antonio “Skee” Tamayo, director general of Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), perked up my inquisitive interest about the drones when he guested at The Monday Circle gathering held in posh Westin Hotel.
Monday was the first time I’ve met Capt. Skee, whose name is a byword in the aviation industry as well as in Philippine Airlines (PAL), which I covered in part as an economic journalist up until the retirement of Jaime B. Bautista as president (who is now the transportation secretary).
Just an aside, have you ever wondered why this ace pilot had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve up close and personal Pope Francis by bringing His Holiness back to the Holy See as Capt. Skee?
Let me share with you the reason. Capt.’s original nickname given by his parents was Skeezix, a cowboy slang term for an orphaned calf and the main character of the American comic strip Gasoline Alley. Through the years, the term of endearment was shortened to Skee. And has further evolved to PopSkee.
Now back to the drones.
My interest in drones was further stimulated by the extent of drone usage as reported by the Philippine National Police Maritime Group in Wednesday’s Senate Committee hearing. The submersible drone found by fishermen in the waters off Masbate last December is military-grade, came from China, and has the capacity to gather information.
Previously known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), drones were first deployed on a large scale during the Vietnam War. Now, its usage ranges from acting as decoys to merchandise delivery, to most recently a kind of weapon – carrying guns and firing at targets like snipers.
Not everybody and his uncle are allowed to fly a drone. One has to be licensed by CAAP. This entails undergoing five-hour flight training, passing a test, and submitting a copy/picture of the remotely piloted drone with its serial number.
CAAP also imposes a “no-fly zone” in certain areas such as airports and Malacañang Palace, the seat of power. Drones should only be operated during daylight hours, in good weather conditions, should not fly over populated areas, and can only go as high as 400 feet or 122 meters.
While in the past, small drones had chips, now manufacturers have removed the chips, which is a concern for CAAP. Cognizant of the ever-changing technology, CAAP has created a special sector focused on drone development.
This is to update and improve the rules and regulations governing drone operations. “We have to develop our own regulations on how to manage these new types of aircraft.”
This is crucial following the certification of a China-made two-seater drone, which was recently showcased in Chengdu. “It’s the first two-seater certified drone in the world. I was invited to ride but I refused because it has no controls,” shared Capt. Skee.
And here’s another good news: CAAP is also working on upgrading the Cauayan (in Isabela), Dipolog, and Pagadian airports. These three will soon be night-rated. The upgrade brings to 26 the number of night-rated airports, out of the 80 it operates.
Funding is no problem as CAAP has fiscal authority. In 2024, it surpassed its target revenue by P6 billion, earning P15 billion, largely due to an increase in overflight fees and charges. For this year, CAAP's revenue target is pegged at P20 billion.
Way to fly Capt skee!
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