The holiday season is here again, and many university students will return in January sporting a brand-new drone. Drones have come a long way from the unwieldy radio-controlled (RC) copters of the past. Modern drones can operate across several miles with great precision carrying mounted cameras, microphones, and other sensors. However, federal and state regulators
FAA
NFL Urges Lawmakers to Address Drone Threats and Nefarious Actors
Cathy Lanier, the Chief Security Officer for the National Football League (NFL), is concerned about unauthorized drones flying above stadiums during games and the potential for accidents or even a mass attack on the crowd below. Last season, the NFL encountered some 1,400 drones over stadiums, even though there were no-fly-zone orders in place.
Pursuant…
Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership to Lead FAA UTM Field Test
The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) was selected to lead one of the teams participating in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) Field Test. The UTM Field Test is a research project designed to evaluate the technology and standards being developed to help safely coordinate and prioritize drone…
FAA Issues Task Order for UTM Project at Griffiss International Airport
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a task order contract to the New York UAS Test Site for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS or drone) integration project. The project is designed to assist in the development of a UAS traffic management (UTM) system and to promote the safe operation of high-volume drone operations.
Remote ID Ruling For FAA in RaceDayQuads Suit
RaceDayQuads, a racing drone retailer based in Orlando, Florida, and Tyler Brennan, a drone operator (collectively, Petitioners), filed a Petition for Review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Remote Identification (Remote ID) Rule for drones with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. This week, the Court ruled in favor of the FAA.
North Carolina to Provide Long-Range Health Care Deliveries by Drone
This week, North Carolina announced that it will begin long-range health care deliveries by drone in an effort to expand on-demand health care and improve the patient experience in the state. A distribution center will be set up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, where Novant Health, Magellan Rx Management, and Cardinal Health will work collaboratively with…
Final BVLOS ARC Report Issued with over 70 Recommendations for the FAA
Last week, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s (ARC) Final Report was released. The report has been much anticipated by the drone industry and its stakeholders. The report recommends a complete overhaul of existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations with entirely new regulations. The goal of that…
FAA Issues Millionth Airspace Authorization under LAANC
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its millionth airspace authorization for drone pilots under its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) program. In order to operate in controlled airspace, drone operators must obtain approval from the FAA under Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Prior to the introduction of LAANC, these…
Skyports Partners with MassDOT for Drone Operations and Testing
Skyports, a leading drone services provider, recently announced that it has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Aeronautics Division to demonstrate how it can link communities in the Cape Cod region using its drone services. This partnership stems from MassDOT’s need to find a solution for connecting some of its remote communities to…
Potential Consequences of the FAA’s Failure to Implement Section 2209
Section 2209 of the Federal Aviation Administration Extension, Safety, and Security Act (the Act) requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish defined boundaries protecting “critical infrastructure” from unauthorized drones. More specifically, the FAA is tasked with defining the precise sites where drones are prohibited from operating. It is likely that the FAA would have…