SkeyDrone has released its new Drone Detection Report, which analyses the drone flights detected at the Belgian coast during the months of July and August 2024, based on SkeyDrone’s Drone Detection network. The Belgian coast contains multiple geozones that each require a separate flight authorisation. SkeyDrone’s current network at the Belgian coast covers the area between Nieuwpoort and Bredene at the west- and mid coast, and the area between Blankenberge and Knokke at the east coast.
The report provides insights into various aspects of drone activity, including the types of drones used, frequency and timing of flights, duration, altitude, distance between drones and pilots, as well as some drone hotspots.
The 1109 observed drone flights involved 502 unique drones. The maximum number of detected flights executed by a single drone was 22. An average of 18 drone flights per day were detected, most were on Sundays, and between 19h and 21h. The average drone flight lasted 3 minutes and 55 seconds. The longest drone flight lasted 56 minutes and 9 seconds. The two longest flights were performed by pilots who each only carried out one single detected flight with this drone at the Belgian coast in the July-August timeframe.
The highest recorded flight reached 1647 feet (500 metres) above ground level. The furthest distance observed between a drone and its pilot was 21.031 metres. This concerns a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight that was operated by a professional drone operator from their control centre in Oostkamp.
The majority of detected flights (71 percent) were carried out with a DJI Mini drone. Approximately four percent of the flights were performed with large drones weighing over 900 grammes.
Skeydrone’s drone detection heatmap showed that the nudist beach at Bredene was a drone hotspot during the monitoring period. Upon further investigation, all drone flights in this area were authorised and originated from a DJI M200 drone, a device typically used by the police. Police patrol the dunes since public access is forbidden there. Another hotspot was the new Silt casino complex, which opened in Middelkerke in March.
This is SkeyDrone’s second public drone detection report, after the publication of the Brussels drone detection report in June 2024.
“As we anticipate an exponential increase in drone traffic along the Belgian coast, it is crucial to be able to quantify and locate it effectively, especially given the presence of the Koksijde Air Base, the International Airport of Oostende and the helicopter training areas,” said Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director at SkeyDrone.
For more information and to download the report
