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ZAF bans the use of unlicensed drones

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Zambia Air Force (ZAF) Commander Lieutenant General Eric Chimese has banned, the use of unlicensed drowns drones without certification from the Zambia aviation authority.

And Lieutenant General Chimese has also complained of the uncontrolled use of drowns drones in Zambia’s air space.

Speaking at the 2017 Zambia Air Force (ZAF) annual ball under the theme ‘repositioning the Zambia air force through innovation in support of Zambia’s vision 2030,’ lieutenant general Chimese says drowns have the potential to cause serious damage to aircraft.

Meanwhile ZAF Commander has described the year 2017 as successful in terms of fulfilling its mandate.

He says the air force has performed exceptionally well especially with support from the patriotic front government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu.

Lieutenant General Chimese has, however, called on the Road Development Agency (RDA) to make some improvements on some of ZAF’s run ways which are in dilapidated states, to prevent damages to aircrafts.

And speaking at the same event Defence Minister Davis Chama says he is working round the clock to create a conducive working environment for the defence force for it to systematically carry out its primary roles.

Mr. Chama says the PF government will continue improving the state of defence equipment for defence forces to adequately defend and protect the nation.

The minister who was accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo, Commerce Minister Margret Mwanakatwe and other senior government officials also urged the force to scale-up its civil-military relations with the society.

50 COMMENTS

    • The only reason the *****ii is banning it is because the drones have proven popular and doing a good job at HH’s rallies showing the aerial view of the multitudes. That does not sit well with the pf illiterates such as Mumbi, Kamba, Kapoli…whatever u call him.As you know you have amafutu in this govt who are very petty in everything but champions in stealing….

    • The only reason the ii*****ii is banniing it is because the drones have proven popular and doing a good job at HH’s rallies showing the aerial view of the multitudes. That does not sit well with the pf illiiterates such as Mumbi, Kamba, Kapolii…whatever u call him.As you know you have amafutu in this govt who are very petty in everything but champions in stealiing….

    • Obatala,
      Your brain is dead. Chimense as Airforce commander is in charge of protecting the Zambian airspace. He has the means to enforce the rules by shooting down any foreign objects in the Zambian airspace. Can the Civil Aviation Authority do that?

    • The Civil Aviation will pass the Law against flying Unlicensed Drones. The Airforce Commander will then be empowered to shoot down all unlicensed ones,my dear friend. That’s the way it is supposed to be.

    • “Chimense as Airforce commander is in charge of protecting the Zambian airspace.”…

      PROTECTING it for who? Just the airforce or the people that need to use it to develop Zambia?

      This person should be HELPING civil aviation, not being selfish to make his own job easy!

    • They should have told him the drones are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)! I hope Mushota doesnt use the ones from Luapula! However, perhaps Chimense would have asked Civil Aviation Authority or even RTSA to register them as they are mostly for civilians . However, in most countries there has to be a policy by the government before UAV’s can be allowed to fly!. This is a very gray area that needs specialist consultations with experts. I am impressed that RDA recently had a tender to supply drones and my brother won the tender!

    • Is it ZAF to ban or the Civil Aviation Authority?

      MB, Chimese is also from Luapula, Mansa. So he can clash with Mushota from Kawambwa

    • Ba LT they are really pathetic. In this day and age of computers you still make stoopid errors when you can just Google drones? How lazy can you be?

    • A lot of shiwang’andu mentality around here, why stone a drone, why not encourage ingenuity? And how many planes does this airforce own for them to be wary of home made drones?

  1. iDrone Services
    Mind it, it is Industrial Drones, takingoff with automation soon in Zambia. Apart from the negative approach of disabling the ICT4D technology
    We & ZCAA must ENABLE them sooner in a regulated space.

  2. I wondered what these ‘drowns’ were initially….This is simply another example of very poor editing.

    • If they are UNLICENCED, yes, according to Chimese.

      But Chimese should have taken his complaint to the Civil Aviations Authority then they issue the warning. Because airspace is important for civilian use too, in the modern economic set up. Unless we were at war.

  3. You want unlicensed drones away from your airspace ba Zambia Air Force? start emitting radio waves that jam the signal to the drone chapwa!

  4. THIS KIND OF REPORTING IS DENTING THE IMAGE OF OUR MEDIA IN THE COUNTRY. THEY ARE CALLED DRONES OR UAV WHICH STANDS FOR UN-
    MANNED AERIAL VEHICLES WHICH ARE EITHER REMOTELY CONTROLLED OR AUTOMATED PROGRAMMED.

    • In Zambia we have fake journalists who are mascarading as journalists…Even at radio stations we have big issues just trying to construct a head line news item like at Hot FM is a problem…How do you make a news headline with one word or two words…Case of having raw Editors just like on this site…

    • Zakeyo I’m really fed up! Such a simple word like drones dribbles the editor? What primary school did he attend?

    • Kikiki, true! Why shot them down to prove your worth to the tax paying masses, that will be enough assurance that they are protected.

  5. It’s not for the Air force Commander to ban these “drowns”, as he calls them; it’s the Civil Aviation Authorities duty. Please respect the separation of powers, otherwise some marketeer will one day stand up and ban the use of Jet Fighters in Zambia.

  6. LOL …. Drown, Down, Drawn, Dawn, Dune, Done ….. DRONE ..aha! that’s it!

    Maybe ba LT should introduce an edutainment game of words. This will indirectly help, and save face at the same time.

    Oops nearly forgot:- Edutainment = EDUcational + enterTAINMENT.

  7. Drones come in different sizes. There are those relatively small one that are used to film weddings, sport and other gatherings. Then you have the big ones used in Rwanda to deliver medicines to remote parts of the country. These are probably the ones the general is talking about. However, I am not sure the general has the authority to ban anything without proper legislation. You don’t want the ignorant PF police to start shooting down small drones being used to film public events.

  8. Let us ban even birds from flying as they can cause damage to aircrafts…ancient thinking. chap just trying to black out the opposition totally from the media.

  9. By the way he’s over zealous drones these days don’t fly over 50 meters what aircraft will they be endangering he should just get concerned if someone flies near airports

  10. Compliments of the Season to you all, including Ba Chimese. I am sure the good general will pick up some wise advice from this educative conversation, so that he can approach the CAA to seek proper counsel and input from various experts. Only then will we all know the classification of drones; their sizes and functions, plus limitations. Then Legislation can be sought and implemented accordingly by the authorized authorities. Don’t just tweet your ideas when you wake up, like Donald Trump..

  11. Chimese that is not your role, you are overstepping. Each time you write your own google inspired speeches, it’s disaster. Let the correct expertise at aviation authority guide us on your concerns.

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