- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
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- Age
- 44
So when I was at the Drone Data X conference the other week, I was really focused on wanting to hear from Jim Williams at the FAA. It was actually just about the main reason I went.
Basically, while the FAA sorts their **** out they are going to be focusing on education and not punishment. I think in the calmest way possible Mr. Williams was trying to ask people to not be dumbasses, and give the FAA time to get things on the books. The comment period closed in April, and 6-16 months is the expected time for something to become law.
There was a lot of discussion on this:
SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF PROPOSED PART 107
Operational Limitations .......................................
•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 op-
erator 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 oper-ation.
•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 operations from a moving vehicle or aircraft, except from a watercraft on the water.
•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 category that would allow operations in Class G airspace, over peo-
ple not involved in the operation, and would require airman to self-certify that they are famil-
iar with the aeronautical knowledge testing areas.
Operator Certification and Responsibilities ........
•Pilots of a small UAS would be considered ‘‘operators’’.
•Operators would be required to:
Æ
Pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing cen-
ter.
Æ
Be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration.
Æ
Obtain an unmanned aircraft operator certificate with a small UAS rating (like existing
pilot airman certificates, never expires).
Æ
Pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months.
Æ
Be at least 17 years old.
Æ
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.
Æ
Report an accident to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in injury or
property damage.
Æ
Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft and control station systems
checks, to ensure the small UAS is safe for operation.
Basically, while the FAA sorts their **** out they are going to be focusing on education and not punishment. I think in the calmest way possible Mr. Williams was trying to ask people to not be dumbasses, and give the FAA time to get things on the books. The comment period closed in April, and 6-16 months is the expected time for something to become law.
There was a lot of discussion on this:
SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF PROPOSED PART 107
Operational Limitations .......................................
•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 op-
erator 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 oper-ation.
•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 operations from a moving vehicle or aircraft, except from a watercraft on the water.
•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 category that would allow operations in Class G airspace, over peo-
ple not involved in the operation, and would require airman to self-certify that they are famil-
iar with the aeronautical knowledge testing areas.
Operator Certification and Responsibilities ........
•Pilots of a small UAS would be considered ‘‘operators’’.
•Operators would be required to:
Æ
Pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing cen-
ter.
Æ
Be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration.
Æ
Obtain an unmanned aircraft operator certificate with a small UAS rating (like existing
pilot airman certificates, never expires).
Æ
Pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months.
Æ
Be at least 17 years old.
Æ
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.
Æ
Report an accident to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in injury or
property damage.
Æ
Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft and control station systems
checks, to ensure the small UAS is safe for operation.
