The past few months of this year have brought on some significant changes to the progress we wished to see in moving forward the evolution of commercial drone operations in America. These changes are encouraging, but they are just a start! It is important that the commercial drone community continue to be active and engaged with this process to assure the safe and ethical integration of aerial robotics in America.
I know it is hard to believe but the UAVSA has grown solely by word of mouth and by it’s partnerships with incredible speed and we are grateful for your support and your membership. We have decided to officially launch globally, and are going to accomplish this through a public outreach program to increase positive awareness about drones, the membership and influence the UAVSA, and the ability of the commercial drone community to contribute to the betterment of all mankind.
With this announcement we are also launching the first program to assist our members with an FAA issued 333 Exemption to fly drones commercially and legally in the National Air Space of the United State of America. The UAVSA “Fast Track to 333 Exemption” is the first program of its kind and we encourage you go to uavsa.org/333 for more information and to apply.
- Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (25 kg).
- Visual line-of-sight (VLOS) only; the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the operator or visual observer.
- At all times the small unmanned aircraft must remain close enough to the operator for the operator to be capable of seeing the aircraft with vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.
- Small-unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons not directly involved in the operation.
- Daylight-only operations (official sunrise to official sunset, local time).
- Must yield right-of-way to other aircraft, manned or unmanned.
- May use visual observer (VO) but not required.
- First-person view camera cannot satisfy “see-and-avoid” requirement but can be used as long as requirement is satisfied in other ways.
- Maximum airspeed of 100 mph (87 knots).
- Maximum altitude of 500 feet above ground level.
- Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from control station.
- No operations are allowed in Class A (18,000 feet & above) airspace.
- Operations in Class B, C, D and E airspace are allowed with the required ATC permission.
- Operations in Class G airspace are allowed without ATC permission
- No person may act as an operator or VO for more than one unmanned aircraft operation at one time.
- No careless or reckless operations.
- Requires preflight inspection by the operator.
- A person may not operate a small-unmanned aircraft if he or she knows or has reason to know of any physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a small UAS.
- Proposes a microUAS option that would allow operations in Class G airspace, over people not involved in the operation, provided the operator certifies he or she has the requisite aeronautical knowledge to perform the operation.
- Pilots of a small UAS would be considered “operators”. Operator
- Operators would be required to: Pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge-testing center.
- Be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration.
- Obtain an unmanned aircraft operator certificate with a small UAS rating (like existing pilot airman certificates, never expires).
- Pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months.
- Be at least 17 years old.
- Make available to the FAA, upon request, the small UAS for inspection or testing, and any associated documents/records required to be kept under the proposed rule.
- Report an accident to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in injury or property damage.
- Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft and control station systems checks, to ensure the small UAS is safe for operation.
- FAA airworthiness certification not required. However, operator must maintain a small UAS in condition for safe operation and prior to flight must inspect the UAS to ensure that it is in a condition for safe operation. Aircraft Registration required (same requirements that apply to all other aircraft).
- Aircraft markings required (same requirements that apply to all other aircraft). If aircraft is too small to display markings in standard size, then the aircraft simply needs to display markings in the largest practicable manner.
- Proposed rule would not apply to model aircraft that satisfy all of the
- Model Aircraft criteria specified in Section 336 of Public Law 112-95.
- The proposed rule would codify the FAA’s enforcement authority in part 101 by prohibiting model aircraft operators from endangering the safety of the NAS.
- 5 nautical miles (NM) from an airport having an operational control tower; or
- 3 NM from an airport with a published instrument flight procedure, but not an operational tower; or
- 2 NM from an airport without a published instrument flight procedure or an operational tower; or
- 2 NM from a heliport with a published instrument flight procedure
The “blanket” 200-foot COA allows flights anywhere in the country except restricted airspace and other areas, such as major cities, where the FAA prohibits UAS operations. Previously, an operator had to apply for and receive a COA for a particular block of airspace, a process that can take 60 days. The agency expects the new policy will allow companies and individuals who want to use UAS within these limitations to start flying much more quickly than before.Section 333 exemption holders will automatically receive a “blanket” 200 foot COA. For new exemption holders, the FAA will issue a COA at the time the exemption is approved. Anyone who wants to fly outside the blanket parameters must obtain a separate COA specific to the airspace required for that operation.”It is important to remember he FAA is responsible for the safety of all air traffic and sets the standards for such globally. There are millions of flights everyday, and many of us travel by air frequently and safely all around the world, and all of this is because of the FAA. We must as a united commercial drone community encourage the matriculation of information and advancements in technology to assist the FAA in making informed and important choices while creating the laws for the integration of sUAS (Drones) into the NAS (National Air Space). This is of great importance because history has proven that the United States FAA and its regulations on air traffic control become globally adopted standards of operation.