A TV-repair shop owner who has become the first person convicted in the UK for “dangerously” flying a UAS says the fine and legal costs will bankrupt him. Robert Knowles, 46, of Barrow-in-Furness, was fined £800 and ordered to pay costs of £3,500 at the Furness and District Magistrate court on Tuesday after being prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Continue reading
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
FAA Rules Out Use of Military Airspace for UAV Tests
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) are enforcing limitations on who can use military airspace, a move that will curtail the number of possible places researchers can fly tests with unmanned aircraft. Continue reading
South African Civil Aviation Authority to Crackdown on Illegal UAS Flying
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is set to clampdown on the illegal flying, in civil airspace of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV), as normally referred to. The move was prompted by recent reports that purported that there are individuals and/or organisations that are already operating or intending to operate UAS in the South African civil aviation airspace. Continue reading
Australian UAS Operators Call for Stricter Regulation of Illegal Unmanned Aircraft
The Australian Certified UAV Operators Association (ACUO) is calling for the current Federal Government Aviation Safety Regulation Review to back a harder line to combat the growing problem of illegal unmanned aircraft operations. Continue reading
FAA Intends to Establish FAA Air Transportation Center of Excellence for UAS
The FAA has issued a Notice of Intent to Establish an Air Transportation Center of Excellence – the FAA Center of Excellence (COE) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Continue reading
Colorado Start-Up and City Council Apply for CoA
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
Australia Moves on Commercial UAS Privacy Legislation
Australia has an opportunity to create a world leading privacy regime for the effective management of unmanned aircraft flown for commercial purposes according to the Australian Certified UAV Operators Association (ACUO), the main national body for the emerging industry. Continue reading