Over the last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made great strides toward integrating unmanned aircraft – popularly called “drones” – into the nation’s airspace. The first big step took place last December 21, when a new, web-based drone registration system went online.
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
EASA and Vodafone Discuss Drone Traffic Control
Vodafone is considering a move into the business of managing drone traffic, after meeting European aviation safety authorities about adapting its network to track and identify unmanned aircraft. Continue reading
Research Outlines Operations Risk for BLOS Flight
PrecisionHawk has released its Phase 2 Pathfinder Results as part of UAS TAAC (Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technical Analysis and Applications Center) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Pathfinder program is an FAA-led initiative to facilitate the early introduction of low-altitude operations for small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System. Continue reading
First-Ever Digital Identity Certificate for Drones
AirMap has announced Drone ID, a partnership with DigiCert that will enable, for the first time, instant authentication of an unmanned aircraft’s identity via a digital certificate. Drone ID is a step forward for drone security, laying the groundwork for a future in which millions of drones can share the airspace safely and efficiently.
SESAR European Drones Outlook Study Published
By 2050, it is estimated that there will be some 7 million consumer leisure drones in operation across Europe, including a fleet of 400 000 drones offering important services across the agricultural, energy, e-commerce, transport as well as public sectors.
NASA Study on Air Traffic Controller Acceptability of UAS Detect-and-Avoid Thresholds
NASA conducted a human-in-the-loop experiment with 15 retired air traffic controllers to investigate two research questions: (a) what procedures are appropriate for the use of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) detect-and-avoid systems, and (b) how long in advance of a predicted close encounter should pilots request or execute a separation maneuver. Continue reading
FAA Lacks Risk-Based Oversight Process for Civil UAS
The Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation has some recommendations for the FAA’s strategy in regulating unmanned aircraft vehicles. The OIG recently released an audit report after receiving feedback from the FAA prior to release. Continue reading
Free Air Traffic App for UK Drone Operators
British startup Altitude Angel has, in conjunction with air traffic control service NATS, launched an air-traffic-as-a-service app for drone operators. Drone Assist “presents drone pilots with an interactive map of areas of airspace used by commercial air traffic”, according to Altitude Angel. Continue reading