Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

Colorado Start-Up and City Council Apply for CoA

Iron Ridge

Colorado start-up company Iron Ridge UAS sees UAS technology as a huge opportunity economically. And it intends to position itself to be a leader in the industry by the time the Federal Aviation Administration issues its rules governing commercial UAS use in a few years. Which is why Iron Ridge appeared before the Airport Advisory Board  and the Longmont City Council. Continue reading

FAA Awards UAS Research Grant to Rutgers University

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Rutgers University a contract to develop UAS, currently used by the military, for civilian use. The research will be ongoing over the next several years, he said. The FAA plans to take the results from the first phase of the project and present them to Congress in order to create more concrete parameters for the system designs. Continue reading

European Civil RPAS Market Continues to Grow

Logo_UVS_square_quadri _DB-copieThe European civil RPAS market is continuing to grow, as is witnessed by the fact that there are now over 1400 certificated RPAS operators in Europe. In this context, the European Commission has commissioned a study of third party liability and insurance requirements for RPAS with the purpose of contributing to the development of insurance regulation, and to support the development of appropriate and competitive insurance offerings. Continue reading

FAA Loses Commercial UAS Flight Case

RitewingA federal administrative judge has dismissed a proposed $10,000 fine against businessman Raphael Pirker, who used a remotely operated 56-inch foam glider to take aerial video for an advertisement for the University of Virginia Medical Center.The FAA alleged that since Pirker was using the aircraft for profit, he ran afoul of regulations requiring commercial operators of “Unmanned Aircraft Systems”  to obtain FAA authorisation. Continue reading

ATC Ready for UAS Integration – Sense and Avoid Is Not

natca3
Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) in the United States are responsible for around 7,000 aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS) at any given time. At the current rate of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) integration into civil airspace, can ATC be ready to manage pilot-free aircraft flying in the same airspace as major commercial airlines, business jets and helicopters? Continue reading