Commercially operated autonomous drones may be on the horizon, especially since Google and Amazon have announced plans to start drone-based parcel delivery in 2017. A policy problem is likely to follow: allocation of scarce airspace and preferred flight paths — an issue complicated by the need to ensure that each drone’s flight is safe and that each flight-path segment stays within capacity.
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
UK Drone Safety Awareness Weekend
The CAA, NATS and ARPAS have joined forces with the UK Drone Show and Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) to create a Drone Safety Awareness Weekend to be hosted during the public weekend of the Farnborough International Airshow (Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July 2016). Continue reading
Regulation of UAS in Hong Kong
The following is a question by the Hon Tony Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council on April 20: Continue reading
Ultralight Weight Low Cost ADS-B Transponder for UAS
Micro-Avionix has developed an ADS-B suitable for UAVs of all sizes to improve flying safety for all. The ping™ is the world’s first family of ultralight weight, low cost, ADS-B transponders. Continue reading
UK Government Criticises Amazon on Drone Safety
A U.K. government official has criticised Amazon Inc. for not providing guidance about the safe operation of drones to customers who purchase such products from the retailer. Continue reading
NASA Success for Complex Drone Traffic Management Test at FAA Test Sites
San Francisco Bay Area reporters interview NASA researchers and observe the FAA test sites fly 24 drones to test air traffic management platform at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California
In the first and largest demonstration of its kind, NASA and operators from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites across the country flew 22 drones simultaneously to assess rural operations of NASA’s UAS traffic management (UTM) research platform. Continue reading
FAA Enables Section 333 UAS Registration Online
What’s not to like about an automated government system that’s faster, simpler and more user-friendly than the paper-based system it supplements? Continue reading
FAA Grants First Approval for Commercial Drones Night Time Flights
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued the first approval for flights of small commercial drones at night, according to lawyers for the operator, in the latest sign of how quickly U.S. regulators are moving to authorize expanded uses of unmanned aircraft. Continue reading