On 26 June 2018, the European Council adopted updated aviation safety rules, which include a revised mandate for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the first ever EU-wide rules for civil drones of all sizes. Continue reading
Category Archives: Regulatory Matters
FAA Surveys Commercial Drone Operators
On June 19, the FAA sent a questionnaire to everyone who has registered a commercial drone – more formally, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) – for anything but recreational or hobby use. Continue reading
US, European Air-Safety Agencies Follow Different Paths on Drone Regulation
Europe’s commercial-drone industry likely faces slower growth and tighter initial safety restrictions than U.S. operators, based on comments by the head of the European Aviation Safety Agency. Continue reading
FAA Establishes Drone Restrictions Over Federal Prison
At the request of Federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) §99.7–“Special Security Instructions”–to address concerns about drone operations over national security sensitive facilities by establishing temporary Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) specific flight restrictions. Continue reading
US Senate Panel Approves Counter-Drone Authorities for DHS, Justice Departments
A bill that would give legal authorities to the U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Justice to counter threats posed by malicious drones in limited instances domestically was approved by a Senate panel Wednesday, but there might be jurisdictional disputes that prevent the legislation from getting to the Senate floor as quickly as hoped. Continue reading
First NASA Large UAS Flight in Public Airspace without Chase Plane
A Detect and Avoid (DAA) avionics system developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI) was the key technology that enabled an unmanned aircraft flight through the National Airspace System (NAS) after taking off from southern California on Tuesday. Continue reading
FAA’s Safety Rules for Commercial Drones Are Overly Strict, Report Says
Introducing drone operations into the nation’s airspace can provide substantial benefits to society, such as preventing derailments, inspecting cell phone towers, delivering medical devices to patients in cardiac distress, and assisting firefighters, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Continue reading
Transport Canada Adds Microdrones md4-3000 to List of Compliant UAVs
The Microdrones md4-3000 has been added to Transport Canada’s (TC) exclusive list of compliant unmanned aerial vehicles. To date, only fifteen manufacturers worldwide have achieved this distinction. Continue reading