Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

The Four Most Important Questions Raised by the White House Drone Event

On Tuesday, August 2, 2016 the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) held its first-ever “Workshop on Drones and the Future of Aviation.” The event, co-hosted with the AUVSI Foundation, brought together 150 leaders in the UAS community, ranging from commercial operators to academics and hobbyists to policymakers. The purpose of the event was to stimulate discussion of the future of this burgeoning industry—where is it going? And what does government need to do to help it get there? Continue reading →

Congress Library Report on UAS Regulations ex USA

Library of Congress

A Law Library of Congress report titled Regulation of Drones surveys the rules that apply to the operation of civilian drones in twelve countries, as well as the European Union. The report includes individual country studies on Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Continue reading →

13 Takeaways from The White House Workshop

Drone over city The White House launched a new effort Tuesday to help increase the use of drones and showcased how government agencies have become a proving ground for a wide array of new drone concepts and technologies.

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FAA: Half Million Drones Registered by Hobbyists

drones over city The FAA has registered more than a half million drones flown by hobbyists in the past eight months, its top administrator said at a White House gathering, but commercial drones haven’t been tackled yet.

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Harnessing the Potential of UAS Technology

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) hosted a workshop on Drones and the Future of Aviation—the first-ever event of its kind at the White House—to advance and celebrate the potential of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones. The event gathered experts from government, industry and the academic research community in order to accelerate opportunities and address challenges posed by this emerging technology. Continue reading →

Democratic Convention is a No Drone Zone

Like its Republican counterpart in Cleveland, next week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia is a “No Drone Zone.” Continue reading →

Illegal Drone Flights Worth 30 Years Jail in Ghana

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has warned operators of drones in unapproved areas without certification to desist from the practice or face prosecution that could result in 5 to 30 years imprisonment. Continue reading →

FAA Gives TSA Another Job: Drone Pilot Vetting

The FAA has given the Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”) a new and potentially time-consuming task: vetting commercial sUAS pilots who do not already have a certificate to operate manned flights. The proliferation of new applications underscores the importance of having an adequately staffed and funded TSA so integration of commercial sUAS is not delayed.

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