International law firm Dentons named Jim Williams, formerly manager of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office, as a principal in its public policy and regulation practice. Based in McLean, Va., Williams will advise clients on “aviation technology, regulatory and compliance issues with particular emphasis on the military, consumer and commercial use of unmanned aircraft,” said Dentons on July 27. Continue reading
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
eBee is Canada’s First Compliant Fixed-Wing Drone
Swiss professional drone manufacturer, senseFly, has announced that its eBee has become the first fixed-wing system to be designated a ‘compliant small UAV’ by Transport Canada—a distinction that moves organisations that use this drone a critical step closer to achieving Compliant Operator status.
NASA 2015 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Convention
NASA and the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International will cosponsor the 2015 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management Convention: A New Era in Aviation. The event will be held Tuesday, July 28 through Thursday, July 30, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California. Continue reading
NASA, Partners Test Unmanned Aircraft Systems
NASA, working with government and industry partners, is testing a system that would make it possible for unmanned aircraft to fly routine operations in United States airspace. Continue reading
UAS Privacy Issues Present Legal Challenges
A Florida aviation attorney and author of a book on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) law believes that addressing privacy issues related to drones won’t be resolved quickly or easily. Continue reading
New UAV Regulations Will Harm South Africa
The Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of South Africa (CUAASA) has warned that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could deliver services and create jobs will be effectively grounded if the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) implements its new UAV regulations, impacting service delivery and job creation.
Feinstein Bill on Collision Avoidance Software
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation to require commercial drones to be equipped with collision avoidance software in an effort to prevent mid-air crashes between the devices and airplanes carrying passengers.
Feinstein said the measure, which has been dubbed the Consumer Drone Safety Act, is necessary because of the high number of near collisions that are reported by pilots to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“If we don’t act now, it’s only a matter of time before we have a tragedy on our hands,” Feinstein said in a statement about the introduction of the legislation. Continue reading
Amazon Says States Should Not Undermine FAA Rules
Amazon Inc does not want local communities and states to be permitted to “regulate unmanned aerial systems” warranted by aviation regulators. The American Internet-based store is seeking to strengthen its objective in delivering products through drones. Continue reading