Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

South Africa Introduces Regulations

New rules regulating the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), popularly known as drones have been signed by the Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters and will be officially be put into effect 01 July 2015

Director of Civil Aviation Poppy Khoza said the South African Civil Aviation Authority, a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) RPAS Panel, had engaged with a number of key role players such as operators, manufacturers, and other airspace users and after months of amendments and incorporating requests by various stakeholders a draft was approved by the Minister of Transport on 5 May 2015. Continue reading →

Drones Banned from 81 Tokyo Parks

The Tokyo metropolitan government has prohibited people from operating drones in all metropolitan parks, officials said. A total of 81 parks and gardens managed by the metropolitan government are subject to the ban, which also prohibits people from bringing drones into the parks.

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FAA Launches National Capital Region No Drone Zone Campaign

U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced a public outreach campaign for the National Capital Region around Washington, D.C. to reinforce the message that the District of Columbia and cities and towns within a 15-mile radius of Ronald-Reagan Washington National Airport are a No Drone Zone. Continue reading →

FAA Selects Mississippi State University Team As Center of Excellence for UAS

After a rigorous competition, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected a Mississippi State University team as the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (COE UAS). The COE will focus on research, education and training in areas critical to safe and successful integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace. Continue reading →

Singapore Regulates UAS

The Singapore Parliament has just passed the Unmanned Aircraft (Public Safety and Security) Bill, which sets out guidelines for the safe flying of drones and enforcement against those who violate them. The new law, which amends the Air Navigation Act and Public Order Act, will take effect from next month.

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European Pilots Want Regulations on Recreational Users

In a new position paper, the European Cockpit Association – the European pilots’ union – have outlined a number of prerequisites for the safe integration of light RPAS, often referred to as ‘toys’, into Europe’s low level airspace. Continue reading →

Drexel University Joins FAA UAS Research Team

Drexel University is one of several core research institutions that will be part of the FAA’s recently-announced National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, led by Mississippi State University, alongside dozens of associate research, commercial and government partners.

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Amazon Patent Links UAS Delivery to Smartphone

The US Patent and Trademark Office revealed an Amazon.com, Inc. patent filing, which highlighted the e-commerce giants’ plan to propel its unmanned delivery service for commercial purposes. According to the approved filing, drone deliveries will be navigated by pulling location data from a customers’ smartphone — where real-time routes and directions are constantly updated to guide the delivery process.

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