UAS Digest #51

Law Enforcement & Threats

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→  Drones will be banned during international golf tourney – The short-term ban is issued during the week of the Ryder Cup, Sept. 27-Oct.2, amid security concerns that the objects could be dangerous during the international golf tournament.

→  Drones take police capabilities to new heights – The remote-controlled aircraft offers a range of uses, from searching for a missing person to monitoring crowd control to photographing a crime scene, and hregas taken the department’s capabilities to new heights, he said.

→  Drones are on town’s radar – The prospect of a drone over the Memorial Day parade prompted the Ridgefield Police to issue a warning that the FAA prohibits flights over public assemblies. And drones were spotted over the Fourth of July fireworks at Ridgefleld High School.

→  Gwinnett police add drone to their investigative arsenal – The device is currently being used to investigate serious traffic accidents, with the department’s two certified officers using it to fly over incident scenes and take pictures and video.

FAA Action & Reaction

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→  Get Ready for the New Small Drone Rule! – A new world of opportunities for drone operators opens next week on August 29 when the new small drone rule for non-hobbyists becomes effective. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to make sure you have the information you’ll need to take advantage of those opportunities.

→  www.faa.gov/uas/ – The NEW Small UAS Rule (Part 107), including all pilot and operating rules, will be effective on August 29, 2016. For more detailed information, please see:

• Summary of the Small UAS Rule (PDF)
• Small UAS Advisory Circular – How to Use the Rule (PDF)
• Complete Text of the Small UAS Rule
• Sample Aeronautical Knowledge Test Questions (PDF)
• Read about how to fly a UAS for your work or business

→  New FAA Rules Promote Growth of Commercial Drone Industry

→  New Drone Laws Contradict With FAA Rules – The new law, which seeks to keep the actions of drones away from areas such as oil and gas well or sites and any other areas as listed under ‘critical infrastructure’ “may conflict with existing Federal Aviation Administration guidelines.”

→  Will there be more UAS nighttime flights in the future? – Earlier this year, Toronto-based Industrial SkyWorks received a Section 333 exemption from the FAA to conduct nighttime UAS flights for Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance in the U.S., thus becoming the first business approved for commercial operations at night.

→  Relaxed drone rules to impact businesses, local airports – The relaxed regulations, called Part 107, make it easier for businesses to utilize drones as long as they stay within a set of guidelines including: only daylight operation of drones that weigh 55 pounds or less, below 400 feet in the air at speeds of 100 mph or slower.

→  Industry leaders meet with FAA in Utah to discuss issues with drone use – Industry leaders in drone security technology and the FAA met to discuss the threats that come with drones sharing the skies.

City, State & Federal Legislative Action

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→  Louisiana Active on Drone Legislation – Since late May, Louisiana has enacted five laws addressing drone use. House Bill 19 prohibits using a drone to photograph schools or correctional facilities. House Bill 335 permits the establishment of fees for UAS registration and licensing. House Bill 635, Senate Bill 73 and Senate Bill 141 create new criminal offenses involving drones.

→  New Report on Cities and Drones Released by National League of Cities –  The National League of Cities (NLC) today announced the release of Cities and Drones, a new report that provides cities with insight on the recently released Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules relating to drone operation. The report also provides suggestions for how local governments can craft their own drone ordinances to encourage innovation while also protecting their cities.

→  Legislation restricting drones draws opposition – Clifton Park: “The board has received questions over the last few months from the public and some have come in to town hall about the usage of drones on town land, parks, and preserves. We’re trying to find a balance. This is not an anti-drone directive.”

Foreign Regulatory Actions

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→  UAV rule making: What is taking Europe so long? – Why is the EASA final rule for the operation of unmanned aircraft elusive and why time is an important factor for a successful regulation procedure?

→  JCAA getting more applications for drone use – As interest in the technology grows, the JCAA is fielding repeat applications from some 25 entities now compared to just “two or three” a year and a half ago, said JCAA’s deputy director general for regulatory affairs, Rohan Campbell.

 

International Developments

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→  MMC Opens New State of Art Facility to Meet International Demand – MMC, the Shenzhen based drone manufacturer, has recently opened to a new state of the art production facility in Bao’an Shenzhen, China to help meet demand as a result of unprecedented growth. MMC’s research in hydrogen technology has led to the first ever commercially available hydrogen-fueled drone, the HyDrone 1800 which holds the record for flight time at 4½ hours.

→  Here Are 5 Ways Drones Could Change The Indian Economy – But if drones are to be launched here in India, how far would its contribution be to the economy and the people in general?

→  Law on Innovations & its Effect on How We Do Business – With the new Law on Innovation, adopted by the Parliament of Georgia in June 2016, it is a good time to think about the future, consider what the new law aims to achieve and also take a look at some of the recent technological trends which are affecting how we do business.

 

People in Drone Nation

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On August 29, 2016 the day fir effectiveness of Part 107 here are two people who you make need to contact:

1. For technical questions concerning this action, contact

Lance Nuckolls

Federal Aviation Administration
Office of Aviation Safety, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office, AFS-80,
490 L’Enfant Plaza East, SW., Suite 3200, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 267-8447
UASrule@faa.gov

 

 

Aviation Safety Inspector- Flight Technologies and Procedures Division, AFS-400
Federal Aviation Administration

→ Among other duties, I am working on the next phase of rulemaking for the continued integration of UAS into the U.S. National Airspace System.

Aviation Safety Inspector – Flight Operations
Federal Aviation Administration, AFS-80 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office

→ Since May 2013, Program Team Lead for the FAA’s Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) rulemaking project.
→ Participated in the development of the “Section 333” small UAS exemption process, and developed the methodology for streamlining the Sec. 333 exemption process.
→ Research support for UAS crewmember training, testing, and simulation requirements.
→ Received operational training for numerous UAS platforms including but not limited to the MQ-9, Raven, Wasp, and Scan Eagle.

Aviation Safety Inspector
FAA AFS-800 General Aviation & Commercial Division

→ Assisted with the development of rulemaking, policies and procedures for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations – Part 61 (pilot training & testing standards), Part 141 (pilot schools), Part 142 (pilot training centers) and Part 91 (flight operations) as well as related activities.
→ Assisted with the development of the FAA/Industry (Pilot) Training Standards.
→ Developed the first FAA approval criteria for Aviation Training Devices (ATDs) and the associated FAA Advisory Circular 61-136
→ Conducted FAA approval evaluations of Basic and Advanced ATDs.
→ FAA National Resource Specialist.

Director, Regulatory and Certification Policy
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)

→ Advocated the Association’s position regarding policy and regulatory actions affecting pilot and aircraft certification by actively participating in the public process concerning those actions on behalf of the Association.

V.P. Aviation Commercial/Specialty Lines
Avemco Insurance Company

 

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2. For legal questions concerning this action, contact

Alex Zektser

Federal Aviation Administration
Office of Chief Counsel
International Law, Legislation, and Regulations Division, AGC-220
800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591
(202) 267-3073
Alex.Zektser@faa.gov

 

 

Regulatory Attorney
Federal Aviation Administration, Chief Counsel’s Office

Drafted legal interpretations of aviation regulations and conducted legal review of agency rulemakings and petitions for exemption. Worked on multiple significant agency rulemakings that included: (1) small unmanned aircraft systems; (2) flight, duty, and rest; and (3) safety management systems. Also represented the agency in meetings with industry concerning aviation operating issues and assisted the Department of Justice on petitions for review of agency actions.

Policy Analyst
Office of Management and Budget (Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs)

Pursuant to Executive Order 12,866, reviewed significant rules drafted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Among other things, this review examined the regulatory impact of the draft rules and whether the benefits of those rules were justified by the rules’ costs. Also reviewed information collection requests submitted by a number of different agencies for compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Staff Law Clerk
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Wrote draft opinions and memoranda analyzing complex appeals that were pending before the court. My cases dealt with the following legal areas: administrative law, employment law, civil rights, criminal law, and appellate jurisdiction.
Publications

Languages
Russian

George Mason University School of Law
JURIS DOCTOR

University of Maryland College Park
Bachelor’s degree, Economics and Philosophy

 

Insurance

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→   Insuring UAS Operations – Verifly is democratizing insurance for the UAS industry with an app that enables drone pilots to buy insurance with two taps.

→  New Part 107 UAS operators shouldn’t overlook insurance – Shawn Ram, western regional manager for Crystal & Company in California—a strategic risk and insurance advisory firm with more than 80 years of experience—said there are four primary areas in which UAS businesses need to manage risks through insurance: bodily injury, property damage, technology failure and privacy.

 

Legal Information

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→  Use of Drones for Monitoring and Inspection of Energy Infrastructure – This Alert provides an overview of the requirements with which drone operators must comply in order to legally operate a drone.  It also provides a brief explanation of the steps that utilities, pipelines and their contractors must take in order to operate drones for monitoring and inspection operations on critical infrastructure facilities.

→  Drones: Flying By The Rules – There are several rules and regulations governing the use of drones, which are being used increasingly for recreational and commercial purposes.

Media Use

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→  CNN Launches CNN Air – As the news industry leader in the development of technology used in newsgathering, CNN announces today the launch of CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting (CNN AIR). For the first time in the company’s history, CNN will have a designated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) unit with two full-time UAS operators to fully integrate aerial imagery and reporting across all CNN networks and platforms, along with Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner entities.

→  UAS Goes To Hollywood – Emmanuel Prévinaire’s dream of a marriage between cinematography and unmanned aircraft technology nearly ended more than three decades ago in a forest in France. Because his dream was eventually realized, the film industry came to know and trust Prévinaire and the capabilities of UAS for capturing memorable aerial scenes that have been immortalized in several globally recognized films.

Operational Developments & Research

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→  Fungus Drone Melts On Impact, Leaves No Evidence Of Snooping – Bio-drones use minimal electronic parts and are made mostly of fungus and bacteria that degrade into “goo” if (or when) they crash.

→  Autonomous Airbus drones could be flying us to work by 2027 – Although the hardware is almost ready, the main thing slowing project Vahana down is sense-and-avoid technology. Reliable systems are only just finding their way into cars, and Lyasoff says making them work in autonomous aircraft is “one of the bigger challenges [the team] aims to resolve as early as possible.”

→  Should search & rescue crews be allowed to operate drones? – Saturday at Little Cottonwood Canyon, Kris Krie was recreating with friends when he came across a search and rescue operation near Lisa Falls. Crews were searching for 17 year old James Wade, who was hiking near Lisa Falls with his family. Crews had been searching for Wade since late Saturday morning. They were about to suspend the search for the night, when Krie offered up the use of his drone.

 

→  Drone Could Help Law Enforcement – Local law enforcement officers surrounding an Elm Grove home Tuesday morning knew a man with a gun was inside. In preparing to do that, the police officers received some valuable help. A small drone was used to get a closer look at the dwelling without endangering any officers.

→  Drones Used to Count Endangered Sea Turtles – Researchers have determined that swimmers who are counting turtles miss about one out of every 10 turtles in the swimming area, and drones help improve accuracy.

→  Alaska Bulletin: New UAS capabilities for AmeriFlux sites – “We’re using the UAS to document the state of the vegetation and the topography at the onset of the new project site (first year) using near-infrared and visible imagery.”

→  New Design Could Keep UAVs In The Air – A researcher from the University of Texas at Arlington has invented a new way to control aircraft using weights that move within the wings. His design reduces drag and therefore conserves energy, which ultimately allows aircraft to remain in the air for longer periods of time.

→  senseFly & Air Navigation Pro Join Forces to Reduce the Risk of Mid-Air Collision – his joint initiative has been designed to address one of the biggest issues facing the General Aviation (GA) and unmanned aircraft communities: the risk of mid-air collision.

 

→  Ohio Turnpike preparing to use drones – The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission in September will complete its first bridge inspection using an unmanned aircraft system, or drone. The drone will be used to inspect the Sandusky River Bridge, a 970-foot-long bridge in Sandusky County on either Sept. 13 or Sept. 14, depending on the weather.

→  Islands to house innovative life saving drone technology – Zipline is partnering with Ellumen, ASD Healthcare and Bloodworks Northwest to deliver lifesaving blood, medicine and medical products to rural/remote communities in Maryland, Nevada and Washington, including American Indian reservations and their surrounding communities. According to Hamilton, if testing is successful the drones could become a permanent fixture of the islands.

Privacy, Safety & Security

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→  This Startup Wants to Build a Drone-Proof Fence to Protect Your Property – Linda Ziemba is the founder of Drone Go Home, a drone intrusion prevention system that offers mobile and permanent installations. As access to consumer-grade drones increases, Ziemba explains the need to employ caution, for example, by installing electronic perimeter fences around properties that Drone Go Home plans to offer.

→  Drone operators may soon face high-tech barriers – Geofencing. Using GPS or radio signals, the technology essentially creates a virtual barrier against intrusions. Some tech companies also are using machine learning to help differentiate objects in the air. Other companies are using acoustic technology to identify unmanned aerial vehicles.

→  New AI program could help drones avoid flying over big crowds – Flock, an artificial intelligence company, is currently developing a risk analysis program for commercial drones, from aerial photographers to drone use on a larger scale, such as delivering Amazon packages. The program uses real-time weather information and the location of buildings. But what’s perhaps even more impressive is that the system can also predict what areas will be full of people so it can choose a route around congested areas or a time when those areas will be less crowded.

→  Drones: Campaigning for safer skies – Part 1 – Brian Wynne, the President and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) discusses in an exclusive two-part report the importance of safety and regulation when it comes to the exploding phenomenon of drones and their increasing democratisation into the public sphere.

→  Realizing the potential of drones, yet preserving our privacy – Stakeholders from the UAS industry, civil liberties organizations and government agencies have been working together to help facilitate the safe, responsible and ethical use of drones, while still supporting the growth and development of this cutting-edge technology.

 

Restrictions from parties other than FAA

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→  Drone operators may soon face high-tech barriers – Geofencing. Using GPS or radio signals, the technology essentially creates a virtual barrier against intrusions. Some tech companies also are using machine learning to help differentiate objects in the air. Other companies are using acoustic technology to identify unmanned aerial vehicles.

 

→  Zipline – “Our partnership with Rwanda is just the beginning. Zipline will deliver a wide range of medical products in other countries this year. If you think Zipline could help your country, contact us.”

→  DroneTracker can spot, identify and track problem drones – Those concerned about privacy or drones intruding where they’re not wanted now have the option of fighting technology with technology.

→  Drone me: Google patents UAV for video conferences – Based on Google’s latest new patent, the tech giant could be looking into developing drones with screens for office video conferences. The idea is that small drones could conveniently film and project virtual images of people over distances.

→  Ultra-Compact Camera Module with Optical Vibration Compensation – Tamron, an integrated optics manufacturer and leader in the security/surveillance equipment industry, announces the release of an Ultra-Compact Camera Module with an industry-first* Optical Vibration-Compensation feature.

→  DroneSimPro – $29.99 – Dronethusiast’s #1 choice for training – A Drone Flight Simulator is a great choice when you’re considering investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a new uav quadcopter. Multirotor drones can be very expensive and it’s smart to get some practice using a much less expensive method, a uav simulator, before unpacking your new drone.

→ App gives weather data in real time – One of the largest private weather enterprises in the world, The Weather Company, an IBM Business, announced that it will work with AirMap, a leading provider of low-altitude airspace management services for unmanned aircraft, to allow AirMap to deliver real-time hyperlocal weather data directly to drone operators.

→  Launchpad: OEM, UAV and survey/mapping products

→  4 Autonomous Sports Drones for Extreme Photography – So you’re looking for a self-flying drone as extreme as the sports you’re into. It needs to be rugged, smart, versatile, fast, and ready to go at the touch of a button. Essentially, you want your sports drone to be a flying cameraman,  capable of shooting high-quality video while you focus on looking awesome.

→  Drone Training Simulator for Education – August 1st marks the beta release of Zephyr, a drone training simulator that is uniquely designed for drone training and education developed by Little Arms Studios. The intent of Zephyr is to be the drone operator training tool educators want, combining accurate flight models and physics with a built in Learning Management System that tracks the pilot’s progress.

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