The FAA says drone pilots of unmanned aircraft (“drones”) who interfere with fighting wildfires, law enforcement efforts, or other first responders, such as medical flights, now are more likely to face serious civil penalties, even for first-time offenses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has provided guidance for agency personnel who handle possible drone violations to refer all cases involving interference with first responders to the FAA Chief Counsel’s office for … Read More
FAA Establishes Restrictions on Drone Operations over Additional DOD Facilities
At the request of its Federal security partners, the FAA is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about drone operations over national security-sensitive facilities by establishing temporary flight restrictions specific to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In cooperation with Department of Defense (DOD), the FAA is establishing additional restrictions on drone flights up to 400 … Read More
Super Bowl 52 No Drone Zone Within 30 Miles
Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis, MN is expected to bring over 1000 private and chartered aircraft into surrounding airfields during the brief period before and after the event. Private aircraft and drones will be restricted from flying near U.S. Bank Stadium during, before and after the SuperBowl LII. These aircraft must make plans ahead of time with local airfields for takeoffs and departures. Temporary flight restrictions (TFR) within 30 miles … Read More
Super Bowl 2018 is a No Drone Zone
Super Bowl 2018 is off limits to drones. But it’s not just the stadium where your quadcopter will be grounded. The Federal Aviation Administration, banned drones for a 34.5-mile radius for the 2017 Super Bowl around NRG Stadium in Houston. The ban has yet to be released for the 2018 Super Bowl at the U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN, however, it’s expected to be the same ban. A circular area of more … Read More
Restrictions Set for Drones Over National Landmarks
At the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about unauthorized drone operations over 10 Department of the Interior (DOI) sites, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. The FAA and DOI have agreed to restrict drone flights up … Read More
Safe DRONE Act of 2017
The Safe DRONE Act of 2017 is being introduced by four U.S. senators in a bipartisan bill designed to advance the development of the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry and ensure the U.S. keeps pace in the development and implementation of the technology. The Safe DRONE Act of 2017 is being introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner, D-Va.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; and Dean Heller, R-Nev. There … Read More
Second Set of UAS Facility Maps Released
The FAA has released the second set of UAS Facility Maps. As mentioned previously (The FAA Has Published the First Set Of UAS Facility Maps), the UAS flight maps will be rolling out in a patchwork like method covering areas and specific locations which may be more sensitive than others first. The maps may be found through the arcgis portal and you may read more about the UAS Facility Maps … Read More
FAA has Established Drone I.D. Rulemaking Committee
Who is operating that drone? That’s the question law enforcement and homeland security want to know when an unmanned aircraft (UAS) appears to be flying in an unsafe manner or where it’s not supposed to fly. Currently, there are no established requirements or voluntary standards for electrically broadcasting information to identify an unmanned aircraft while it’s in the air. To help protect the public and the National Airspace System from … Read More
FAA Safety Briefing: You and UAS
The FAA Safety Briefing for May/June changes it’s focus to the (UAS) Unmanned Aircraft System or commonly know as Drones. Featuring articles on UAS integration into our airspace, who requires a certificate, where you may find additional resources on the web, law enforcement guides, and more. We’ve included some links below to the full publication as well as individual sections of which may be of interest. Download (PDF) Download (EPUB) Featured … Read More
The FAA Has Published the First Set of UAS Facility Maps
The Federal Aviation Administration has published more than 200 facility maps to assist in streamlining the commercial drone authorization process. The maps depict areas and altitudes near airports where UAS may operate safely. Drone operators will still need FAA authorization to fly in those areas. The maps will help drone operators improve the quality of their Part 107 airspace authorization requests and help the FAA process the requests more quickly. … Read More