By JUSTIN MOORE A little more forward throttle, a bit more yaw to the left. Perfect. Click. You might assume that I’m flying an airplane and taking a picture from one, but I’m not. I’m piloting a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) — also commonly known as an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) — and I just took a picture of […]
UAS
Educating the public — and pilots — about RPAs
Can you imagine ordering an aircraft off the Internet, then learning to fly it by trial and error without knowledge of physics, weather or airspace? That’s what’s happening when people buy Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), also referred to as drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS). These non-commercial RPAs can range in size from under five […]
RPA encounters increasing
Nearly 200 encounters with remotely piloted aircraft, ranging from amusing to chillingly dangerous, were reported to the FAA between February and November of 2014, according to a report at AOPA.org. Writer Jim Moore notes that a list published by a New Orleans television station May 26 documents the growing use of drones — authorized and otherwise — […]
First data analysis app store for drone industry launched
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Algorithm Marketplace, launched this week in Beta by PrecisionHawk, provides automated analysis of aerial data acquired by Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). Using sophisticated algorithms, RPA operators no longer need a background in geographic information system (GIS) or remote sensing to interpret their aerial data. Instead, the marketplace provides an action-based report to improve management […]
University plans RPA flight tests the first week of June
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has scheduled test flights for the week of June 1 from the Port Mansfield airport through the university’s Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center. A launch in the dark and shoreline flights that match on-the-ground surveying are planned for this round of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or drone, […]
Drones survey flood damage and assist search and rescue efforts
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A test-site research team from the Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence & Innovation (LSUASC) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been dispatched to Wimberley, Texas, to conduct low-altitude research flights in the wake of devastating flooding. The town of Wimberley, about 30 miles southwest of Austin, was struck […]
New RPA law blog launches
WASHINGTON. D.C. — The Pillsbury law firm, which formed a multidisciplinary team focused on Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in March 2014, has launched its new RPA law blog. The team is comprised of lawyers across multiple practices and sectors, including Aviation, International Trade, Energy, Real Estate, M&A, Intellectual Property, Communications, Privacy, Global Security, Finance, Technology, Insurance and Government Contracts, […]
FAA streamlines approvals for RPA test sites
The FAA has made it simpler for the six remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) test sites to conduct research by giving them “blanket” authorizations to fly public aircraft operations throughout the National Airspace System at or below 200 feet. FAA officials said they expect this improved access for the test sites will provide more opportunities for […]
FAA launches National Capital Region No Drone Zone Campaign
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 […]