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Comments close soon for an NPRM for sUAS operations over people and an ANPRM for safe sUAS operations. In the news, advice for drone operators near agricultural aircraft, rogue drones in China, Google’s Wing receives authority to operate in Australia, FAA close to awarding the first drone airline license, and GENIUS NY awards are announced.
UAV News
Safe and Secure Operations of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
In this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), the FAA seeks comment on whether and in what circumstances the FAA should promulgate new rulemaking to require stand-off distances, additional operating and performance restrictions, the use of UAS Traffic Management (UTM), and additional payload restrictions. The FAA also seeks comment on whether it should prescribe design requirements and require that unmanned aircraft be equipped with critical safety systems.
Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over People
Under this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), operations of small unmanned aircraft over people would be allowed in certain conditions without a waiver, along with operations of small UAS at night. It would also require remote pilots in command to present their remote pilot in command certificate as well as identification to certain Federal, State, or local officials, upon request, and proposes to amend the knowledge testing requirements in the rules that apply to small UAS operations to require training every 24 calendar months.
NAAA Cautions Hobbyist and Professional UAS Operators to be Mindful of Low-Flying Agricultural Aircraft this Growing Season
The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) would like drone operators to be aware that agricultural aircraft aviators fly as low as 10 feet off the ground when making an application. That puts UAVs and Ag pilots in the same airspace. The NAAA has some specific recommendations for UAS operators. Local agricultural aviation operations can be identified by consulting AgAviation.org/findapplicator.
Authorities take action to counter increasingly intrusive UAV flights
China is subject to the same type of rogue drone flights that we see elsewhere. The State Council and the Central Military Commission jointly released a draft of interim UAV rules that put drones put into five categories based on weight and speed: mini, light, small, medium and large. Mini drones are required to fly below 50 meters without permission except for airspace over and around restricted areas, airports, restricted military zones, and dangerous areas. Light drones are allowed to fly in airspace lower than 120 meters.
Jianzhen Technology Company is developing a C-UAV system with four steps: detection, recognition, following, and handling. The company explained: “The drone can be recognized on a cloud platform. We continuously follow and locate the drone, generating a real-time flight trajectory. Counter-drone devices and a drone navigation deception system will then be used to disrupt their communication. Finally, the drone will be shot down by a laser net.”
Google’s Wing drones approved to make public deliveries in Australia
Australian regulator CASA given Wing approval to deliver products from local businesses. The initial service will be for about 100 homes in three Canberra, Australia suburbs. The service will expand in the coming months. The approval comes with some restrictions.
FAA to award first drone airline license in the next month
The FAA requires that large-scale commercial package delivery operations by drones need to meet the same safety and economic certification standards as other licensed U.S. airlines. At a conference in Singapore, FAA Office of Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Executive Director Jay Merkle said, “In the next month we expect to announce we will have our first … air carrier certificate for operating a drone airline.” He wouldn’t say who that is, but Wing Aviation LLC is the only air carrier certificate application for a drone carrier listed on a U.S. government website.
Italian company wins NY commercial drone competition
The latest winner of the GENIUS NY prize is Sentient Blue of Italy, a designer of small, gas engines for UAVs. GENIUS NY is a business accelerator for unmanned systems. Sentient Blue is developing efficient, environmentally friendly, hybrid micro gas turbine based power systems for use in UAVs and will receive $1 million, Four other businesses were named as finalists and receive $500,000 in funding: CivDrone (Israel), EagleHawk (Buffalo, NY), ResilienX (Syracuse, NY), and Vermeer (Brooklyn, NY).
UAV Video of the Week
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Tom Brown took this video of the poppy super-bloom with his DJI Mavic Pro
Mentioned
Lake Victoria Challenge
An initiative that aims to explore drones as a new mobility model for the hard-to-reach, rural communities of the Lake Victoria region in Mwanza, Tanzania. The LVC will feature three Flying Competitions. Registrations close on April 25, 2019. An informational webinar will be held April 12, 2019, at 7 AM GMT.
