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A drone company files a Remote ID lawsuit against the FAA over the rules going into effect next month, EASA publishes a drone incident manual for European airports, MIT builds tiny insect-inspired drones, Erickson plans an optionally-piloted S-64 Aircrane, and another spectacular video of the week.
UAV News
FAA Announces Effective Dates for Final Drone Rules
The final rules go into effect on April 21, 2021, that require remote identification of drones, allow some flights over people and moving vehicles, and permit flights at night under certain conditions. Before flying under the new provisions a remote pilot must pass the updated initial knowledge test or complete the appropriate updated online training course.
RaceDayQuads LLC v. FAA (Lawsuit Challenging Drone Remote Identification Regulations)
RaceDayQuads (RDQ) filed a lawsuit against the FAA in Federal court. They believe some provisions of the Remote ID rule will have “devastating effects on our hobby and on all of RC flight.”
“This case is about protecting the constitutional rights and freedom to fly of millions of active drone and model aviation hobbyists by upholding the rule of law through challenging the FAA’s illegal law in court.”
“RDQ and Tyler Brennan are defending our constitutional rights and freedom by confronting the FAA’s rulemaking as violating multiple constitutional protections and rampant with unlawful arbitrary and capricious decision making, some of which was done intentionally behind closed doors out of the eyes of the public. Everyone is under the rule of law -including the FAA. The FAA is not free to differ from what the law requires.”
RaceDayQuads Press Release
Specifically, “RDQ’s goal is to allow current and future drone and model aviation hobbyists to continue flying safely:
- without the need to broadcast their information
- or be inhibited by any regulation which fails to comply with constitutional protections,
- fails to follow rulemaking procedures,
- fails to listen to the comments of those the rule would affect,
- is founded upon inaccurate risk assessments and data,
- or fails to provide an overall benefit to the American people.”
The Petition for Review was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on March 12, 2021. RDQ was represented by Law Offices of Yodice Associates of Potomac, MD, Rupprecht Law of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and Parlatore Law Group of Washington, DC.
From the RDQ website: RDQ vs. FAA – RaceDayQuads and FAA Legal Battle – Challenging Remote ID. For more information, follow the UAV Law News & Discussion group on Facebook.
EASA issues guidelines for management of drone incidents at airports
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the 35-page “Drone Incident Management at Aerodromes” (PDF) manual. It provides guidance to help aviation operators and national authorities address unauthorized drone usage near airports. This is Part 1: The challenge of unauthorised drones in the surroundings of aerodromes. The other two parts are addressed to those parties involved in the management of these incidents.
MIT’s insect-sized drones are built to survive collisions
Generally, the smaller you make a drone, the more fragile it is. Insects, on the other hand, are very resilient for their size. The MIT lab recognised that if you are going to design an insect-sized drone, it needs to survive a collision. While older designs used rigid ceramic-based materials, the newer designs are built with soft actuators made with carbon nanotube-coated rubber cylinders that elongate when electricity is applied. These are used to simulate beating wings.
Erickson rebuilding Air Crane as potentially pilotless combat logistics helicopter
Erickson is considering upgrading the S-64 Aircrane helicopter to make it an optionally piloted combat cargo transport. Adding the Sikorsky Matrix retrofit autonomy kit to become the S-64F+, the helicopter would remove the risk to pilots during nighttime operation through mountainous terrain.
UAV Video of the Week:
If you liked the FPV bowling video, here’s more by the same pilot
See other Videos by Jay Christensen from the Rally Studios production company in Minneapolis at his jaybyrdfilms YouTube channel.
Video: Movie Night FPV