WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA has launched a new public outreach campaign for the National Capital Region around Washington, D.C. to reinforce the message that the District of Columbia and cities and towns within a 15-mile radius of Ronald-Reagan Washington National Airport are a No Drone Zone. “Federal rules prohibit any aircraft from operating in the […]
UAS
New FAA app will help RPA pilots fly safely and legally
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA has released a new smartphone app called “B4UFLY,” designed to help model aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) users know if it is safe and legal to fly in certain locations. “We want to make sure hobbyists and modelers know where it is and isn’t okay to fly,” said FAA Administrator […]
FAA launches Pathfinder program
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA has launched its new Pathfinder program, a partnership with three companies involved in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), also known as drones or unmanned aerials systems (UAS). “Government has some the best and brightest minds in aviation, but we can’t operate in a vacuum,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This is […]
Auburn University receives first FAA authorization to operate UAS flight school
AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn University has received the nation’s first FAA approval to operate a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School as part of the Auburn University Aviation Center. “This is an honor for Auburn University,” said Bill Hutto, director of the Auburn University Aviation Center. “We will conduct commercial flight training for operators of […]
UND Aerospace student receives first-ever UAS training scholarship
University of North Dakota John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences student Kristopher Chachula has been presented with the first-ever Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) training scholarship. The new UAS training scholarship is given to a senior graduating with a major in UAS. It will provide both the ground and flight training required for factory training in […]
AirMap to graphically aid RPA operators
AirMap is a free, comprehensive digital map that allows remotely pilot aircraft (RPA) operators to visualize the airspace around them, including areas where they may not be permitted to fly. AirMap integrates multiple sources of data and gives RPA operators an easy-to-use, yet detailed, solution providing a single view of the restricted areas around an area of […]
Still time to comment on proposed RPA regulations
There is still time to comment on proposed regulations for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The FAA is accepting comments until April 24 on the proposed regulations. Submit comments here.
FAA streamlines RPA approvals
The FAA reports it has established an interim policy to speed up airspace authorizations for some commercial remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operators. The new policy helps bridge the gap between the past process, which evaluated every RPA operation individually, and future operations after the agency publishes a final version of the proposed small RPA rule, FAA officials explained. Under the […]
Why are RPA regulations taking forever?
Why are regulations for remotely piloted aircraft — known commonly as drones — taking so long? The FAA tries to answer that question in a recent blog post at ReadWrite.com