The Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority make clear their definition of a UAS Operator, and simplfy the process for obtaining a licence.
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
FAA Awards COA to Mesa County, Colarado for Draganflyer
Ready for Launch
Mesa County Sheriff (Colorado, USA) is the first US Public Safety Agency to receive an FAA Certificate of Authorization to operate the Draganflyer X6 helicopter for law enforcement use over a 3,300 square mile area.
FAA Reform Act – Complete Text Available
Below is the text pertaining to UAS that appeared in the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 that was introduced into the House of Representatives on 11 February 2011. For the full text (258 page.pdf) click here. Extract:
NASA Research Announcement on UAS Integration into the National Airspace System
A recent amendment to the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) “Research Opportunities In Aeronautics – 2010” calls for a 5-page White Paper to be submitted by February 25, 2011 as step 1 in a two-step programme. The expected annual programme budget is $7.5M for Year 1 and up to $2M/year in Years 2-5.
EC Views UAS Petition Favourably
Yesterday, in reply to its petition, UVS International received a letter from Mr Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, and Responsible for Transport, in which Mr Kallas indicated that he fully shared the views of UVS International. In addition, in reference to the European Commission’s High Level Group, which is being constituted “to develop a single European Roadmap dealing with the structural, institutional and regulatory measures that need to be tackled”, Mr Kallas indicated “Without wanting to pre-empt any decisions that will be taken in this regard, I am confident that the close involvement of UVS International to this work will be ensured”.
New FAA Rules Spark Privacy Debate in US
News that by 2013, the FAA expects to have formulated new rules that would allow police across the country to routinely fly lightweight UAS up to 400 feet above the ground – high enough for them to be largely invisible eyes in the sky – has sparked off fresh debates about the boundaries of privacy in the US media, lead by The Washington Post.
JPDO Gets New Look & New Deputy Director
The US Government’s Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), set up by the US Congress in 2003 to manage the partnerships designed to bring NextGen online, has a new look and a new Deputy Director, Mike Dudley (ex NASA).
UAS Civil Airspace Integration Webinar
Avionics Magazine is hosting a Webinar entitled: UAS Civil Airspace Integration: Progress and Challenges on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, from Noon to 1 p.m. ET. Continue reading