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Transportation board overturns ruling that made small drones legal
You may want to hold off on prepping a drone to do aerial shots of your Thanksgiving party. The National Transportation Safety Board has just overturned (PDF) one of its judges' previous ruling for a case filed against Raphael Pirker, which effectively determined that the FAA had no right to regulate the use of small drones. If you recall, Pirker was fined $10,000 because he flew a five-pound styrofoam plane equipped with a camera to shoot a promotional video in 2011. He argued in court that it was just a model aircraft and not an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) -- and the NTSB judge sided with him, warning the FAA that it should be careful what it calls a drone, before it ends up classifying everything flying in the air, even paper planes, as UAVs. Unfortunately, the Board reversed that ruling due to the FAA's appeal, which hinged on the official definition of what an aircraft is.
FAA to drone pilots: fly near big sports events and face prison time
If you have dreams of recording your own aerial footage of a baseball game using a drone, you'll want to put them on ice. The FAA has issued a warning to all pilots that they'll be fined or imprisoned if they fly remote-controlled aircraft too close to large sports venues (specifically, within 3 miles and under 3,000 feet) during events. The heads-up is ultimately an extension of an existing no-fly notice, but it represents the first time that the FAA has explicitly outlined criminal penalties for flying drones in restricted airspace -- it's not just promising tougher rules. You probably won't object to these particular guidelines if you like your sports distraction-free, but the notice suggests that other crackdowns might be coming soon. [Image credit: Leon Halip/Getty Images]
Flight attendants want to bring back gadget ban during takeoff and landing
Frequent travelers might be happy that the FAA now allows the use of phones during takeoff and landing, but the biggest union of flight attendants (60,000 strong) in the country sure isn't. The union's lawyer has just attempted to get the FAA's decision overturned in the Court of Appeals, arguing that the FAA should've followed standard procedure by notifying the public first and allowing people to comment before issuing any ruling. Also, Atty. Amanda Duré says her clients (the flight attendants) are concerned, because a lot of people have stopped paying attention to pre-flight safety demos and emergency announcements ever since the gadget ban was lifted. They're worried about mobile devices turning into projectiles during turbulence, as well -- something which has already happened in at least one incident.
FAA gives Hollywood yellow light for drone operation
Six drone operators for movies and TV won't have to do things on the down low anymore, now that the FAA has granted them special permission to legally film aerial shots. While the agency still hasn't come up with a set of official rules for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it has deemed the companies' drones safe enough (read: not a threat to national security). In return, though, these operators (listed after the break) must keep the drones within line of sight at all times and far from areas that threaten people's privacy. Also, they must inspect their drones before each flight, and they're prohibited from flying them at night. Still not a bad deal, considering most other industries are still waiting for the FAA's blessing, though it's unclear how they'll be affected by the agency's next traffic control system that's not exactly fit for drones.
FAA's next traffic control system may not be fit for drones
Much has changed since the Federal Aviation Administration decided to start testing drones in the US for the first time. Part of that is due to the growing interest in UAVs over recent months, not only from hobbyists, but also from major technology companies including Amazon, Facebook and Google. There's certainly potential for a great deal of congestion in the skies in the near future, but the FAA doesn't believe its upcoming NextGen control system is ready to handle all the forecasted traffic from commercial drones -- not yet, at least. "We didn't understand the magnitude to which (drones) would be an oncoming tidal wave, something that must be dealt with, and quickly," FAA Assistant Administrator Ed Bolton told the Associated Press.
Airlines are getting better at spotting and dodging bad weather
Turbulence hasn't gone away, but apparently we experience a lot less of it now than we did a decade ago. The New York Times is reporting that as airlines upgrade their weather systems from telex to tablets, pilots' ability to avoid choppy sky has vastly improved. As well as this, better satellite imaging and weather forecasting has enabled airlines to cut the amount of weather-based delays from 50 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2013. In addition, Delta and American Airlines have now outfitted some of their craft with sensors that automatically transmit data to dispatches, keeping subsequent flights out of trouble. The report goes on to say that we're also on the cusp of another big weather resolution, since high-power imaging satellites, due to commence operation in 2016, will massively increase an airline's ability to predict when airports will get shut down - and hopefully, save future generations from trying to catch some sleep on those nasty-ass chairs at Philadelphia airport.
Australia will let flight passengers use electronics gate to gate
A number of countries are starting to change those outdated rules on the use of personal electronics on flights, with some places taking slightly longer than others. The latest to follow suit, in a gadget-friendly list mostly comprising of US-based airlines, is Australia. Earlier today, the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority finally approved the request from Qantas and Virgin Australia to allow passengers to keep their devices on at all times while traveling, from liftoff to touchdown -- so long as they are kept on Airplane Mode. As expected, this only applies to handheld electronics, such as smartphones, tablets and e-readers; anything that weighs more than 1kg (2.2 lbs) will need to remain stowed during takeoff and landing. It is effective as of tomorrow, so now you won't have to throw a fit the next time your Virgin Australia steward tells you to turn that phone or slate off.
Pilots banned from acting like Uber drivers in the sky
"You're going to Napa in your Cessna? Me too! If you let me hop in, I'll pay my share of the gas!" That arrangement is legal, but the FAA has declared that connecting brave passengers with amateur pilots for a fee is definitely a no-no. The ruling came from a request for clarification by a company called Airpooler, a small plane equivalent of UberX. That service and others like FlyteNow let private pilots post listings for flight dates and destinations, along with a corresponding fee. Thanks to a 1963 decision, such sharing is legal if done by word of mouth or a notice board, provided the pilot only asks for a fair share of the expenses. However, in a rather confusing letter, the regulator told Airpooler that its service violates the spirit of that ruling. Instead of offering a bonafide "joint venture with a common purpose," participating pilots are "holding out to transport passengers for compensation." That means unless you have a commercial ATP or CPL license, using those services is DOA. [Credit: Brianc/Flickr]
US to write privacy rulebook for commercial and civilian drones
You may not be able to fly your drone wherever you want, but there's no rules on what you can actually do with it. That's likely to change, with Politico reporting that President Obama will tell the NTIA to draw up privacy guidelines for unmanned aerial vehicles. The rulebook will only cover commercial and hobbyist activities, but should stop nefarious eyes from straying too close to your bathroom window when you're not looking. Military and law-enforcement hardware, meanwhile, will require separate rules, which is likely to come from individual states. When asked, the White House gave issued a standard no comment, but let slip that an "inter-agency process" was underway to co-ordinate America's stance on drone use. Of course, since commercial drone use is still banned in the US -- with some exceptions -- there's at least time for the government to thrash out a cohesive policy on the matter.
Want to fly a drone? Don't do it here
It may sound blindingly obvious to avoid flying a UAV around America's foremost military academy. But not all drone no-fly zones are as obvious as West Point, which is why Mapbox has just issued an interactive US map showing where all of them are. Included are things like national defense bases, airports, nuclear power plants and recent additions like national parks. As Wired pointed out, many clearly off-limit zones like Lawrence Livermore's lab still aren't listed, but if you notice one you can add it to an open-source page on GitHub. Meanwhile, all commercial drone flights are still banned, unless noted otherwise by the FAA. For hobbyists, however, they sky's the limit -- just stay out of the red zones.
Amazon asks the FAA for permission to play with its drones outside
Keep laughing at Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery video if you want to (cough, Netflix), but the company is moving forward as though it's serious. Bloomberg points to a letter filed today with the FAA asking for permission to take its unmanned flying machines out of their test facility, "to do what thousands of hobbyists and manufacturers of model aircraft do every day." The FAA is still putting tight controls on the commercial use of drones, but Amazon Global Public Policy VP argues that one day its Prime Air drones will be as common a sight as mail trucks on the road are today. He says that the company's indoor tests in Seattle have brought its "highly automated" small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS, for short) to ninth-gen vehicles -- CEO Jeff Bezos told shareholders it was on the 5th and 6th gen in April. They can travel at 50mph carrying 5 lb packages (which covers 86 percent of Amazon's deliveries) easily, and have been tested for agility, flight duration, redundancy plus other factors. The FAA has yet to respond to the petition, but who knows, maybe soon area residents can keep an eye on the sky and go Blu-ray hunting.
UK joins the US in banning uncharged devices from flights
A few days ago, the US Government announced that all airline passengers with personal electronics would be required to turn their gadgets on in order to demonstrate that they work. Now, the Department for Transport has announced that those same regulations will also be applied to flights in and out of the UK. According to The Telegraph, you're more likely to be asked to turn on your smartphone on flights to the Middle East and Asia than others, but all travelers are advised to make sure their gadgets are fully charged before arriving at the airport. On the upside, if your device has suddenly lost its charge, you'll be able to leave your hardware with British Airways staff for safe keeping until you return. [Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images]
Virgin Galactic's space flights cleared for US blastoff
Virgin Galactic's plans to charter its first space flights by the end of the year have been given another huge boost after it got the green light to begin planning launches. The company, which is now deep in its testing phase, signed a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it set clear guidelines on how its missions will take place in US airspace. The agreement doesn't give Virgin a license to embark on regular trips to space (at least not yet), but instead paves the way for Richard Branson and co. to operate Galactic like a commercial airline.
FAA seeks to unleash small 'low-risk' drones for films and farms by November
Since the FAA has only just begun flying drones at test sites, it'll take quite some time before it can draw up rules and regulations for commercial use of UAVs. But if you start seeing small flying contraptions frequently, it's because the agency is considering approving drone use for farming, filmmaking and other industries it deems "low risk" a lot earlier than planned. The overlord of all things that fly even wants to dole out permits quickly and aims to greenlight commercial flights (of machines that pose no security risk and weigh less than 55 pounds) as soon as November. According to Bloomberg, the agency has already started taking requests from various companies, though the FAA's unmanned aerial vehicle crew are still discussing how they can expedite approval requests. Oh yeah, the FAA might have yet to officially authorize commercial drone flights, but some companies have been flying UAVs illegally for films and other industries for a while. Clearly, there's a demand for these flying machines, so it's no surprise that the agency wants to speed things up.
Near collision with airliner prompts US to crack down on drone use
The FAA might not have full legal authority to regulate drones just yet, but it at least has some evidence to support its case for tighter restrictions. The administration's Jim Williams has revealed that an unmanned vehicle nearly smacked into a US Airways jetliner in Florida this past March; it came so close that the pilot was initially convinced there would be damage. While the remote-controlled aircraft was already violating rules by flying at 2,300 feet (it had to stay below 400 feet), Williams used the incident to argue for a better-safe-than-sorry approach to drone rules. It could be "catastrophic" if one of these vehciles gets sucked through an engine, he said.
Skylens heads-up display helps pilots 'see' through the fog
Thanks to instrumentation, flying blind in bad weather isn't the problem it used to be, but pilots still suffer the unfortunate effects of spatial disorientation. Not being able to see where you're going causes people to lose their sense of balance and direction, which can sometimes lead to fatal errors -- which is why Elbit Systems has developed the Skylens heads-up display. Looking like a fairly hefty pair of ski goggles, Skylens overlays terrain, runway and horizon data onto the wearer's field of vision, enabling them to work out which way is up in poor-visibility conditions. Any pilots looking to get hold of the gear, however, will have to wait a while, as the hardware is currently being tested for airworthiness, but should be available at some point in 2016.
FAA-approved drones report for duty on North Dakota farms
North Dakota will soon get a glimpse of a future where farmers can monitor their crops using small, flying drones. That's because the US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the state the go-ahead to start using its unmanned aerial systems (UAS) test site. It's the first one to become operation among the six commercial UAS testing program sites chosen by Congress in 2013. The state's Department of Commerce will hold two rounds of flight tests using Draganflyer X4ES drones not only to monitor crops, but also to test soil quality. These are relatively small, helicopter-like machines, which measure 36.25 inches in length and width and are equipped with Sony cameras.
Judge rules that flying commercial drones is legal, for now (update: FAA appeals decision)
The Federal Aviation Administration may want to go through some rigorous testing before it allows commercial drone flights on a broader basis, but the National Transportation Safety Board isn't willing to wait that long. One of the Board's judges has determined that the FAA currently has no authority to regulate drones; the move effectively makes drones legal, and it spares a pilot from a $10,000 fine for shooting a commercial with his unmanned aircraft. The Administration has no rules on the books for such vehicles, according to the judge, and the 2007 policy notice it has been using to ban drones isn't binding. There's still a possibility that the FAA will create enforceable rules down the line. For now, though, Amazon and UPS don't have to worry about legal threats to their delivery drone plans. Update: The FAA is appealing the judge's decision, and according to the press release this "has the effect of staying the decision until the Board rules." Basically, don't expect Netflix's Drone 2 Home deliveries to take off anytime soon.
FAA clears Surface for takeoff in US cockpits
Begun, the airline tablet wars have? Microsoft's Surface 2 has just joined the iPad on the FAA's list of approved pilot EFBs (Electronic Flight Bags) for all phases of flight. That follows Delta's recent announcement that it would deploy 11,000 of Redmond's hybrid tablets in its cockpits instead of the iPad, which it also considered. Apple's tablet is already used by American Airlines and others, but Delta said it preferred the readability, productivity apps and other features of the Surface 2. Pilots will now be able to switch from heavy paper charts and books, which will supposedly save millions in fuel costs once the transition is complete in 2015. It also finally puts the pilots on parity with their passengers, as the airline was one of the first on board with the expanded use of personal electronics. Update: The Surface 2 has been approved by the FAA, not the Surface Pro 2. We've revised the post to reflect that.
FAA selects six sites for drone testing because flying robots are our future
One day, drones will be flying overhead... and it will be normal. But, right now, concern over the safety of allowing unmanned aircraft to roam freely in our airspace outweighs their groovy future potential. Which is why the FAA today, following a mandate by Congress, has selected six test sites around the US for the purpose of studying UAS (unmanned aircraft) and eventually integrating them safely into our heavily trafficked skies. Research on UAS will now be carried out at facilities operated by The University of Alaska, Texas A&M University, the state of Nevada (an obvious choice, really), North Dakota's Department of Commerce, New York's Griffiss International Airport and Virginia Tech -- all chosen for their geographical and climatic diversity. Each partner will carry out testing in key research areas highlighted by the FAA: sense and avoid, command and control, ground control station standards and human factors, airworthiness, lost link procedures and interface with air traffic control. The results of which will go towards developing regulations for "commercial and civil use" (yes, you will one day own and operate a drone). But just because the FAA's given a greenlight to further UAS testing, that doesn't mean you'll see drones whizzing about in our skies anytime soon. The agency's stressed that this is just a test and not an invitation to tempt fate in our national airspace system.
