Safer skies: advancing mining drone operations

For over a decade, Hancock Iron Ore’s Roy Hill mine has leveraged drone technology to improve both efficiency and safety across its extensive mining operations. With the recent shift towards Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, Hancock Iron Ore required advanced airband communication solutions that comply with new Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations. These enhanced systems are vital for ensuring safe and effective long-distance drone flights, enabling detailed site monitoring and reducing the need for staff to operate in hazardous conditions.

The scale of the challenge was large. The Roy Hill mine is one of Australia’s largest iron ore operations, with the mineral tenement stretching approximately 30 km. This extensive site features a conventional open-pit mining operation, processing plant, and heavy haul rail, sending around 64 million tonnes to customers annually.

Prioritising safety and operational efficiency, the implementation of BVLOS and smart, intelligent systems play a key role in achieving ongoing coordinated site management.

Icom’s airband dealer, Aviassist, was approached to submit an application to CASA for licence approval. This collaboration with Aviassist enabled Roy Hill to implement the necessary airband communication systems, utilising the Icom IC-A120E VHF airband transceiver, the VE-PG4 RoIP gateway and IP100FS remote communicator, to meet both operational and regulatory standards.

In this set-up, there are three IP100FS remote communicators: two main units on PC control stations — one at the mine site and one in the Perth office — and another on a laptop used as a remote emergency control station. This configuration allows operations to be managed from either the mine (while still outside the operational areas), the Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Perth, or from a remote location during an emergency. The Spatial Solutions and Services team can remotely launch and control drone flights from the ROC as needed, streamlining operations and enabling real-time monitoring without the need to be physically present at the mine.

Icom’s solution integrates the VE-PG4 gateway with the IC-A120E airband transceiver to support BVLOS operations by providing real-time communication for drone operators. This set-up ensures seamless contact with air traffic control (ATC) and internal teams while broadcasting the drone’s location and flight details to nearby manned aircraft. This approach not only helps comply with aviation regulations but also prevents potential conflicts of airspace, enhancing both situational awareness and safety. By facilitating communication with regional ATC and maintaining internal communications, Icom’s system supports effective emergency response and operational efficiency. Redundancy is also a priority, with an Icom IC-A16E airband handheld radio available as a back-up for staff members onsite.

The integration of Icom’s airband communication system has improved real-time monitoring capabilities, enhancing efficiency and supporting ongoing safe operations at the Roy Hill mine.

Image credit: iStock.com/Andres Jacobi