New proposed regulations released this week by the FAA restrict and define commercial applications of drones. Photo Courtesy of infowars.com.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s long-awaited update to proposed regulations regarding drones was released Sunday. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, an outspoken advocate for amended guidelines, appeared moderately satisfied with the proposal, which focuses on commercial applications of drones as opposed to the use of drones as model or hobbyist aircraft.
“These FAA rules are a solid first step but need a lot more refining. I am pleased that they require drones to fly below 500 feet and significantly outside of airport and other secure airspace. Meanwhile, the inclusion of the rule that drones must be flown within the operator’s line of sight appears to be a concerning limitation on commercial usage; I urge the FAA to modify that as these rules are finalized,” said Schumer.
In November, federal officials reported that at least three unmanned aircraft systems, a.k.a. UAS or drones, entered JFK airspace and came extremely close to commercial flights, frightening both passengers and pilots. One pilot reported seeing a drone at approximately 3,000 feet. The most alarming sighting was by a Delta pilot en route from San Diego, who spotted a drone dangerously close to the plane’s left wing. Schumer at that point called for an expedited release of new regulations. In the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress said the FAA should come up with a plan for safe integration of drones by September 2015.
There have been other close calls in New York City. Last May, a pilot flying into LaGuardia spotted a drone at 5,500 feet. In July, a drone almost collided with an NYPD helicopter over the George Washington Bridge. In many cases, UAS are too small and cannot be clearly identified on a plane’s radar.
Drones have many commercial applications that make them useful in terms of law enforcement, disaster relief, filmmaking, sports cinematography, real estate sales, search and rescue missions, and agricultural development. Schumer supports the use of drones under all of these categories, but said that there must be clear limits to their usage when privacy and safety are threatened. He is urging the FAA to consider a requirement that drones be equipped with geo-fencing technology by their manufacturer, which would be built into the drone to limit where it can fly.
“Inclusion of this missing reform would make enforcement of all of FAA’s safety rules on small drones easier and more automatic,” said Schumer.
For an overview of the new proposed regulation package, visit faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking.
By Eugénie Bisulco
