WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published in the Federal Register a Notice of Interpretation to clarify that its existing definition of “unmanned aircraft accident” does not include model aircraft. The definition appears in the NTSB’s regulation “Notification and Reporting of Aircraft Accidents or Incidents and Overdue Aircraft, and Preservation of […]
UAS
States pass own laws governing drones
Without federal rules governing remotely piloted aircraft — also known as drones and unmanned aerial systems — states are blazing their own (potentially conflicting) paths, according to a report in the National Journal. Three years after it was tasked with developing a set of rules for commercial drone operators, the FAA still has not finalized the regulations, instead […]
FAA releases updated model aircraft guidance
The FAA published updated guidance on model aircraft operations Sept. 2 that reflect current law governing hobby or recreational use of unmanned aircraft. Advisory Circular (AC) 91-57A replaces a previous guidance written in 1981. The updated advisory circular reflects rules Congress wrote into Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, according to agency […]
Embry-Riddle to test drone skills at Reno Air Races
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will host the second annual small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) Challenge at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nev., Sept. 16-20.The 2015 challenge, which is sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center in partnership with NASA, will be composed of two separate competitions: An “Open Class” […]
FAA releases beta version of B4UFLY app
The FAA has released the beta version of a new smartphone application called “B4UFLY” for testing by up to 1,000 users of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), also known as drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The B4UFLY app, aimed primarily at model aircraft enthusiasts, is designed to give users information about restrictions or requirements in […]
FAA releases pilot drone reports
The FAA has released a new list of pilot, air traffic and citizen reports of possible encounters with remotely piloted aircraft, also known as drones and unmanned aircraft (UAS). The reports cover Nov. 13, 2014, through Aug. 20, 2015. Because pilot reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past year, FAA officials said […]
Companies team to create on-demand drone service
FORT WORTH, Texas — Aero Kinetics has partnered with GridMeNow to incorporate its mobile, real-time tracking solutions into Aero Kinetics’ newest multi-rotor vertical takeoff and land (VTOL) remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), also known as drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). “We will essentially become the Uber of unmanned systems where UAS can be dispatched by mobile phone directly […]
Threats to the growth of the drone industry
Cyber-attacks, reckless pilots and privacy breaches are fundamental threats to the drone industry, warns a new report published by Lloyd’s, the specialist insurance and reinsurance market.Global expenditures on remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — also known as drones and unmanned aerial systems — is expected to double to $91 billion in the next 10 years, according to the […]
FAA passes 1,000 RPA exemptions
The FAA has granted 1,008 exemptions to unmanned aircraft operations. Companies and individuals from a broad spectrum of industries are taking advantage of the Section 333 exemption process, according to FAA officials. Many of the exemptions the FAA has issued allow aerial filming for uses such as motion picture production, precision agriculture and real estate photography. […]