In the US, the law 14 CFR 91.113(b) defines a general applicability requirement in that, during flight “vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.” The FAA reasoned that since Remote Pilots (RP) of UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) are not physically in the cockpit, theyContinue reading “‘See and Avoid’ and the Visual Line of Sight Falsehood”
Tag Archives: FAA Remote ID
The FPV Freedom Coalition
The community-based organizations (CBO) the FAA recognizes as representing UAS pilots numbers…one. The RC-airplane based Aircraft Modeling Association (AMA) is currently the sole CBO the FAA recognizes. Why this matters to UAS pilots is this; if you have a non-compliant UAS (without Remote ID and tracking capability), you will soon be allowed to fly onlyContinue reading “The FPV Freedom Coalition”
The FAA’s Invitation to Anti-Drone Luddites
The FAA’s proposed Remote ID and Tracking rules for UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) will make some significant changes to the drone world, and to our national airspace. As the proposed rule stands, any operator of a UAS would be identified by position of the drone and the position of the operator/remote control. Aside from beingContinue reading “The FAA’s Invitation to Anti-Drone Luddites”
Evaluating the Remote ID Proposal: Stakeholders & Interests
Before evaluating the FAA’s proposed rules for Remote ID (& Tracking), FAA docket number 2020-1100, we must consider the stakeholders, their interests, and their influence. Some of the stakeholders were represented in the 2017 FAA Aviation Rule-making Committee (ARC) for Remote ID and Tracking (of UAS). They were law enforcement, national security, large corporations, commercialContinue reading “Evaluating the Remote ID Proposal: Stakeholders & Interests”
Better Remote ID for UAS Traffic Management (UTM)?
A sensible plan for remote identification of drones would be based on the following criteria: Allow implementation on current ‘legacy’ drones Require a firmware upgrade, at most Function in areas with limited or no internet or wireless services Provide a UUID (Unique UAS ID) Not interfere with existing ATC or communications systems Protect the securityContinue reading “Better Remote ID for UAS Traffic Management (UTM)?”
The Commercial Drone Alliance – Bully or Beneficial?
The CDA (Commercial Drone Alliance) is a group that (in their own words) “advocate for the commercial use of drones by reducing barriers to enable this game-changing technology.” The rest of their mission statement and goals can be found on their website (commercialdronealliance.org), but the first sentence is a big enough chunk to digest, forContinue reading “The Commercial Drone Alliance – Bully or Beneficial?”
Killing an All-American Drone Company
It seems that no sooner has an American company poised themselves to rule the commercial and recreational drone worlds than the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) seeks to shoot them down. In the face of a trade embargo with the (communist) Peoples’ Republic of China, of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) warnings of Chinese-made drones potentiallyContinue reading “Killing an All-American Drone Company”
Drones and Civil Disobedience
Civil disobedience has become rampant in the United States. This manifests not only as individuals ignoring laws they consider unfair or illegal, but entire municipalities -and even states- ignoring (or directly flaunting) national laws, on a variety of subjects. Both the political ‘left’ and the’right’ are involved in this; some municipalities and states insist onContinue reading “Drones and Civil Disobedience”
Legacy Drones and FAA Remote ID
Any decent plan for implementation of a new technology allows a path for integration with existing legacy technology. More precisely, any decent plan integrates the new technology seamlessly into the older (legacy) technology. These plans specify a phased approach to integrating the old technology and either upgrading it to work with the new, or toContinue reading “Legacy Drones and FAA Remote ID”
A Brave New Drone World 