Each month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) receives more than 100 reports from pilots and others who spot what appears to be an unmanned aircraft (UAS) flying close to an airport or a manned airplane. It’s become a serious safety concern for the agency, and a potential security issue for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Continue reading
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
No Drone Violations During Super Bowl 50
US Forest Service Clarifies Drone Use
In light of the increasing popularity of recreational drones, the U.S. Forest Service has released specific guidelines for recreational unmanned aircraft use over public lands: Continue reading
Spain Contributes to SESAR JU Programme of RPAS Integration into Civil Airspace
The lack of harmonized regulatory framework and the difficulties in the safe integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace, are hindering the development of these systems, reducing therefore the scope of their applications. In order to acquire expertise on the main topics of this integration, the SESAR JU launched in 2013 a call for demonstration activities and the project DEMORPAS was one out of nine selected.
FAA Updates DC-Area Unmanned Aircraft Procedures
The Federal Aviation Administration has updated its conditions for flying unmanned aircraft in the area between 15 and 30 miles from Washington, D.C. to clarify differences for various types of unmanned aircraft. As of 12:01 a.m. EST, Wednesday, February 10, the operating procedures will allow model aircraft, commercial and public users to operate in the outer ring of the Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) under specific conditions. Continue reading
Transport Canada to Introduce New UAV Guidelines
Transport Canada is preparing to introduce new guidelines for the operation of unmanned air vehicles similar to those being proposed in Europe. Continue reading
FAA Reauthorization Act – UAS Provisions
Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Aviation Subcommittee announced the introduction of the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act (H.R. 4441). The AIRR Act is a six-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While the proposed reforms to air traffic control garnered the most attention in the media, the AIRR Act also addressed efforts to integrate civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). Continue reading
EASA Recommendations for UAS Airspace Integration
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a technical opinion on the future of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the skies over the European Union (EU), dividing them into three classes, and issuing 27 recommendations for their safe operation in EU airspace. Continue reading






