UAV232 Should FAA Regulate Recreational Drones?

A call for regulation of recreational drones, the accuracy of wildlife counts, a flying display device, the MQ-1 Predator retirement, using drones for automated inspection, and a Phantom may have caused a helicopter to go down.

ALPA, A4A, and NATCA call for regulation of recreational drones.

Should recreational drones be regulated the same as commercial drones?

UAV News

Airline Groups Call on US Congress to Regulate Drones

Three groups want Congress to modify Section 336 of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act that restricts the FAA from applying any rules or regulations to the operation of recreational drones or unmanned aircraft systems used as a hobby. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), Airlines for America (A4A), and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) sent a letter [PDF] to Congress stating, in part:

“We strongly urge you to remove legislative restrictions that have been placed on the FAA that limit its safety oversight of UAS. The likelihood that a drone will collide with an airline aircraft is increasing. By providing the FAA with the full authority to regulate all UAS operations, the safety of passenger and cargo flights will be protected.”

Should recreational drones be regulated as commercial drones are? Send your thoughts to us at feedback@theUAVdigest.com.

Why Drones Are Counting Thousands of Decoy Ducks

How accurate are counts of wildlife, and can drones do a better job than people? Researchers at the University of Adelaide’s Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences wanted to find out. They conducted an experiment and found “Overall, the drone’s counts were much more precise than the ground counts.”

Samsung Just Patented Display Drones Controlled by Your Eyes, Face and Hand Gestures

The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Flying Display Device, U.S. Patent 9,891,885 to Samsung. It would consist of a quadcopter with a camera, a display, GPS, a “WiFi-based positioning system,” and voice-recognition. It’s a flying screen that reacts to you and presents information on the screen.

Air Force announces official retirement date for iconic MQ-1 Predator drone

On March 9, 2018, the Air Force will retire the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and instead use MQ-9 Reapers for combat missions.

V-Cube Robotics Begins Offering SOLAR CHECK, a Solar Power Plant Inspection Package Service

V-cube Robotics will begin offering a solar power plant inspection package called Solar Check. Drones fly autonomously over a predetermined flight path and inspect the solar panels with infrared thermography cameras. The images are uploaded to the cloud and analyzed for discrepancies. Inspection time is drastically reduced and inspection accuracy is higher.

Report: Helicopter crash on Daniel Island may have been caused by drone

A Robinson R22 helicopter on a training flight in South Carolina, encountered a DJI Phantom, and crashed after attempting to take evasive action. The FAA is investigating.

UAV Video of the Week

Watch a Drone Crash Into Apple’s New Headquarters

A drone crashed into Apple Park. The pilot got in touch with another drone operator for help in finding it. The crash and the subsequent search were recorded.

Drone Crash at Apple Park Caught on Camera

Mentioned

A Message From APSA Regarding The New CAPS/COA Process

 

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