Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

US Senate Panel Approves Counter-Drone Authorities for DHS, Justice Departments

A bill that would give legal authorities to the U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Justice to counter threats posed by malicious drones in limited instances domestically was approved by a Senate panel Wednesday, but there might be jurisdictional disputes that prevent the legislation from getting to the Senate floor as quickly as hoped. Continue reading →

First NASA Large UAS Flight in Public Airspace without Chase Plane

A Detect and Avoid (DAA) avionics system developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) was the key technology that enabled an unmanned aircraft flight through the National Airspace System (NAS) after taking off from southern California on Tuesday. Continue reading →

FAA’s Safety Rules for Commercial Drones Are Overly Strict, Report Says

Introducing drone operations into the nation’s airspace can provide substantial benefits to society, such as preventing derailments, inspecting cell phone towers, delivering medical devices to patients in cardiac distress, and assisting firefighters, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Continue reading →

FAA Restricts Drone Operations over DOJ and USCG Facilities

At the request of federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR)§ 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about drone operations over national security sensitive facilities by establishing temporary Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) specific flight restrictions. Continue reading →