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.
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
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
Explaining the European Approach To Civil RPAS
On 23 June 2014, the RPAS 2014 conference in Brussels, Belgium will be opened with a speech by Mr Siim Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission & Commissioner for Transport. The RPAS 2014 conference, which is coordinated with ICAO, European Commission, European RPAS Steering Group, EASA, SESAR JU, EUROCONTROL, EDA, JARUS, ECAC, and the International RPAS Coordination Council, will be Europe’s most important RPAS event in 2014. Continue reading
Australia Now Has More Than 100 Certified Unmanned Aircraft Operators
A major milestone has been recorded by the Australian unmanned aircraft industry with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) having now certified more than 100 commercial UAV operators. The milestone was reached during the course of last week. Continue reading
FAA Eyes Initial Limited Commercial UAS Operations
The FAA is working to approve limited commercial operations by unmanned aircraft in specific applications, such as crop spraying, that pose a low risk to those on the ground. Four industries have approached the agency about using language in the 2012 FAA reauthorisation act to get an exemption to the ban on civil UAS, says Jim Williams, UAS integration office manager. Continue reading
First Responder Network Opportunity for UAS
By R. Michael Senkowski, Anna M. Gomez, and Katy M. Ross
The First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, is charged with deploying the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network for public safety. This network provides an excellent platform for public safety to deploy and use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). UAS are an important tool for public safety, whether for law enforcement, fire response, or emergency services response. UAS providers and manufacturers should therefore be engaged with FirstNet’s efforts to plan and deploy its network. Continue reading