Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

The validity of the FAA’s new drone registry is under challenge in federal court. The hope for these hobby flyers is that if the challenge is successful, they – including children as young as 13 – won’t have to file their names and home addresses  in a public database. Many hobby flyers have held off on registering their drones, concerned about the public availability of their information. Continue reading →

Frank Carollo, a longtime member of the City Council in Miami, had worked for several weeks fine-tuning a proposal to limit the use of recreational drones, the increasingly popular remote-controlled flying devices. Minutes before the start of the vote on the rules this month, lawyers from the Federal Aviation Administration called him. Continue reading →

In view of threats to security during the ongoing tourist season, the flying of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) — commonly known as drones — for civil purposes, sans the requisite permissions, is likely to be banned. Continue reading →

Chicago Executive Airport (CEA) officials have launched a campaign warning residents and people in neighbouring communities of the FAA’s new drone guidelines and the airport’s own suggestions. Staff members have passed out fliers warning residents that flying drones near airports is “highly discouraged and dangerous.”

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The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has taken the next step in developing a regulatory framework for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the publication of its “technical opinion” on the safe use of unmanned aircraft in Europe’s airspace. Continue reading →

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new web-based registration system for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is now active.  Hobbyists and recreational users who fly UAS, which include remote controlled aircraft, may register at www.faa.gov/uas/registration.  Continue reading →

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new fact sheet on state and local regulation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) provides information for states and municipalities considering laws or regulations addressing UAS use. The document outlines FAA’s safety reasons for federal oversight of aviation and airspace, and explains federal responsibility in this area. Continue reading →