What Are Drone Parachutes and Are They Necessary?

A drone crash is pretty much a nightmare for any drone pilot. The potential consequences of one are two-fold – not only can it result in damage to the drone, but it can also damage or hurt property or people on the ground. For this reason, the restriction against flying drones over crowds is one of the most important for the FAA.

Drone parachutes are perceived to be some of the best solutions to avoid serious damage caused by drone crashes. How exactly do these drone parachutes work and are they reliable? When are drone parachutes necessary? Are there any high-quality and trusted manufacturers of drone parachutes today?

How do drone parachutes work?

As its name implies, a drone parachute is designed to reduce the terminal velocity of a drone should it crash – much like any other parachute. Virtually all of the commercially available drones do not come with a built-in parachute. Instead, it is often a third-party accessory manufactured by specialty companies which need to be installed on a drone professionally.

Within the industry, drone parachute systems are alternatively called “drone recovery systems.” This suggests their second primary purpose – to allow for the safe recovery of a drone even if it crashes.

The main difference between a drone parachute and the type of parachute worn by skydivers is that the drone parachute needs a provision for automatic deployment. This is because it would be excessively cumbersome and expensive to design a wireless communication capability for a drone parachute to be deployed by the remote pilot-in-command (RPIC). Instead, most drone parachutes are outfitted with sensors that are designed to detect flight anomalies.

In late 2019, ASTM International Standards for sUAS parachutes were published, creating a framework for how they should be designed. Although the federal government does not have the authority to enforce the ASTM International Standards, any corporation or institution requiring the use of drones may cite the standards as requirements for the services they need. As such, there are still significant differences in the features of drone parachutes sold today.

Deployment

At the very core of every drone parachute system is the parachute that is deployed by a ballistic or hydraulic launcher. This typically contains high-pressure air contained within the parachute that is released upon an input by the system’s sensor. The use of high-pressure air allows for the rapid deployment of the parachute without the use of combustible components.

Although manual deployment is rare, there are still a few drone parachutes that offer this feature. This requires the use of a separate remote controller that is functioning at a frequency different from the one being used by the drone. Manual deployment is typically slower than automatic deployment but can be activated should the automatic system fail.

Parachute

The parachute used for drones isn’t any different than the usual parachutes used in airplanes or by skydivers. The fabric used for drone parachutes is typically ripstop nylon, the preferred choice because it is both strong and lightweight.

The size of the parachute will vary from one drone to another, as it needs to take into consideration the drone’s size and weight. For this reason, most drone parachute manufacturers have differentiated their product line with parachute systems designed for specific drones.