Online retailer Amazon has brought on a major K Street firm to lobby on its proposed UAS delivery programme. Amazon Prime Air has hired Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to work on “federal advocacy with regard to testing and operation of [unmanned aerial vehicles] in the US,” according to a new lobbying registration.
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
Vancouver Reviews Film Industry UAS Use After Crash
A crash in downtown Vancouver last month has triggered a review by the city on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the film industry. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was being used to shoot a commercial near the intersection of Hastings and Hornby streets when it hit a building and crashed to the ground. No one was injured and Transport Canada says no one will be charged. Continue reading
Australian UAS Operators Criticise Government Safety Regulation Review
The Australian Certified UAV Operators Association (ACUO) provisionally welcomes the release of the report of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review, but expresses concern that a major opportunity to examine the broad range of challenges posed by the increasing numbers of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has been missed. Continue reading
South Africa Civil Aviation Authority Bans Camera UAS
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has executed an immediate prohibition on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or camera drones in South Africa. Film shoots intending to use this type of production equipment, now deemed illegal, will no longer be able to obtain film permits.
Continue reading
FAA to Consider Exemptions for Commercial UAS Movie and TV Production
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has announced that seven aerial photo and video production companies have asked for regulatory exemptions that would allow the film and television industry to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with FAA approval for the first time.
FAA Draft Solicitation for UAS Center of Excellence
The FAA has issued a draft solicitation a Center of Excellence for UAS which it plans to competitively select within the next year. The formal solicitation is due to be issued in August.
The European Approach to Civil RPAS at the RPAS 2014 Conference
The opening day of the UVS International RPAS 2014 conference in Brussels on 23 June 2014 will be dedicated to National RPAS community views on current commercial RPAS operations and will feature 10 presentations from 10 different countries. Continue reading
Mumbai Police Investigate Pizza Delivery by QuadCopter
Police have launched a probe into the usage of a quadcopter by a Lower Parel-based outlet of a pizza chain in Mumbai, which has now become an internet sensation. The eatery created its own slice of history on May 11 when it successfully test-delivered a 13-inch Margherita from its Lower Parel outlet to a highrise in Worli, 1.5-km away, in 10 minutes using a remote-controlled, GPS-enabled quadcopter. Continue reading