FAA Releases Updated Model Aircraft Guidance

2015-09-13

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published updated guidance on model aircraft operations that reflects current law governing hobby or recreational use of unmanned aircraft.

FAA Releases Updated Model Aircraft GuidanceSeptember 2- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today published updated guidance on model aircraft operations that reflects current law governing hobby or recreational use of unmanned aircraft.

Advisory Circular (AC) 91-57A replaces the previous guidance that, as written in 1981, did not reflect the rules Congress wrote into Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.

The updated advisory circular details the 2012 law’s description of a “model aircraft operation”:

The aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;

The aircraft operates in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization (CBO);

The aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds, unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a CBO;

The aircraft operates in a manner that does not interfere with, and gives way to, any manned aircraft; and

When flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the model aircraft provides the airport operator or the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation. Model aircraft operators flying from a permanent location within 5 miles of an airport should establish a mutually agreed upon operating procedure with the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport).

The guidance stresses model aircraft operators must comply with all Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR), that they may not fly in any type of restricted airspace without prior authorization, and that they should be aware of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) that address flights near federal facilities, stadiums, and other public and industrial areas.

The guidance also makes it clear that model unmanned aircraft operations that endanger the safety of the nation’s airspace, particularly careless or reckless operations and interference with manned aircraft, may be subject to FAA enforcement action.

2016-06-21

FAA Finalizes Rules for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Today, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has finalized the first operational rules for routine commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or “drones”), opening pathways towards fully integrating UAS into the nation’s airspace. These new regulations work to harness new innovations safely, to spur job growth, advance critical scientific research and save lives.

2016-06-17

Embry-Riddle Consumer Guide to sUAS for Novices

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2016-06-09

DroneDeploy Users Map 3,000,000 Acres

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2016-06-01

Companies Team for UAS Inspection of Wind Turbines

Two companies involved in aerial wind inspection services, HUVRdata, based in Austin, TX and EdgeData based in Grand Forks, ND, announced a collaboration to deliver a suite of wind industry data intelligence tools and credential processes to optimize the use of this technology within the wind industry.

2016-05-15

DARPA Demo Day at the Pentagon

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency yesterday hosted DARPA Demo Day 2016 at the Pentagon, giving the Defense Department community an up-close look at the agency’s portfolio of innovative technologies and military systems.

2016-04-25

FAA Enables Section 333 UAS Registration Online

What’s not to like about an automated government system that’s faster, simpler and more user-friendly than the paper-based system it supplements?

2016-04-19

Europe Wants UAS for Migrant Route Surveillance

EU border patrol agency Frontex announced Friday that it is in talks with industry for using remotely piloted aircraft for maritime surveillance, adding drones to its existing portfolio of satellite and sensor technologies for monitoring vessel traffic and migrant flows.

2016-04-17

AUVSI Study of FAA Exemptions Published

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has released an interactive analysis that finds 38 types of business operations have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aircraft systems commercially in the National Airspace System (NAS). According to the report that analyzed more than 3,000 FAA exemptions, aerial photography received the most, followed by real estate and aerial inspection. The report also finds that exemptions have been approved in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

2016-03-26

Senate Bill Calls for Certification of Unmanned Aircraft

The Senate’s version of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 has finally made it out of committee, and it contains 65 pages of requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Some of these provisions go to the heart of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) philosophy for dealing with unmanned aircraft. If enacted, the legislation could have a profound impact on the development of this industry.

2016-03-15

Antimatter Space Propulsion Possible within a Decade

Dreams of antimatter space propulsion are closer to reality than most rocket scientists could ever imagine, says former Fermilab physicist Gerald Jackson. In fact, if money were no object, he says an antimatter-driven spacecraft prototype could be tested within a decade. To that end, next month, Jackson and his Chicago-based Hbar Technologies firm are launching a $200,000 Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the next phase of its antimatter propulsion research.

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