A business owner who wants to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) professionally has doubts about FAA and the Transportation Department’s preliminary plan for registering unmanned systems.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced Oct. 19 the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a UAV registration process, according to a DOT statement. Composed of 25 to 30 representatives from the UAV and manned aviation industries, the federal government and other stakeholders, the group will advise DOT on which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other small unmanned aircraft.
The group is to deliver its report by Nov. 20. Jim Campbell, owner of Aero-News Network, told Defense Daily Oct. 19 all he knows is that registration is coming but the industry has “virtually no detail.”
“There’s going to be a task force, but they’re talking about having an answer for this in a month or so,” Campbell said. “They cannot keep up with the registration processes they have in the general aviation area in particular. I’m still getting notices about airplanes I haven’t owned in decades. It’s just an ungodly mess.”
Campbell said he has filed for a “333 exemption” to fly UAVs for business. Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 grants the transportation secretary the authority to determine whether an airworthiness certificate is required for a UAV to operate safely in the national airspace system (NAS). By law, any aircraft operation in the NAS requires a certificated and registered aircraft, a licensed pilot and operational approval.
Since his business does a lot of video work, Campbell is most interested in flying UAVs in the under 55-pound segment. He’s also currently flying quadcopter and multi-rotor UAVs as a hobbyist to learn the technology. Campbell said he filed for the 333 exemption to learn more about the process and that he is concerned that his class of UAVs for potential business use would fall under regulation. Campbell said he is looking at UAVs like the Phantom 1 and the Inspire 1 by DJI.
Campbell said he is concerned that FAA and DOT leadership will ignore recommendations made by the task force and proceed with preconceived notions.
“I’ve watched FAA and DOT work with a lot of user groups (and) task forces (in the past)…and (leadership) basically decides they’re not going to be confused by the facts,” Campbell said. “They’re mind is made up all along.”
The DOT said in a statement the FAA receives daily reports of potentially unsafe UAV operations. Pilot sightings UAS doubled between 2014 and 2015, according to DOT. The reports ranged from incidents at major sporting events and flights near manned aircraft, to interference with wildfire operations.
The Aerospace Industries Association (AAI) issued a statement Oct. 19 on Twitter supporting DOT and FAA’s efforts to promote safe UAV operations. The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) issued a statement welcoming the opportunity to join the task force.
FAA spokesman Les Dorr said Oct. 19 he expected Huerta to approve the membership list the week of Oct. 19 and that the administration will contact the invited members shortly thereafter.