The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published a long-awaited rules proposal for small unmanned aircraft operations in national airspace, a key first step toward the integration of drones in domestic airspace, although it could take years to fully implement.
The publication of the rules on Sunday opens a 60-day public commenting period. After that, the FAA will have to integrate the feedback into the set of rules. The rules are for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) only, defined as being 55 pounds or less. The FAA is also to develop a plan for large aircraft under a 2012 law known as the FAA Modernization and Reform Act.
Photo: AeroVironment
Key provisions regulating the use of UAVs include a flight ceiling of 500 feet, a requirement that they remain in the view of the operator and that they not fly over people other than those using the aircraft. UAVs can be flown only during daylight and cannot exceed airspeeds of 100 MPH.
Flyers would be required to be certified by taking an exam at an FAA testing center every two years, but do not have to get a pilot’s license. Operators would be responsible for inspecting their aircraft to ensure it is airworthy and safe.
The opening of the national airspace allows for many applications of drones, including for law enforcement and firefighting, infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and filmmaking. The rules would create a uniform system for anyone desiring to fly UAVs. In the meantime, the FAA has been issuing permits on case-by-case basis when receiving applications.
Industry advocates say the introduction of UAVs to national airspace could generate billions of dollars in business and have complained that the FAA has been too slow to adapt to the new technology and adopt rules for regulating it.
The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, or AUVSI, called the release of the proposed rules “a good first step” but “long overdue.”
“This is a good first step in an evolutionary process that brings us closer to realizing the many societal and economic benefits of UAS technology,” said Brian Wynne, the group’s president and CEO. “We’re currently reviewing the details of the proposed rule and we look forward to addressing its specific provisions once we’ve had time to fully digest the rule.”
AUVSI represents thousands of companies with interests in UAVs and has pushed Congress and the federal government to open to airspace to them. The organization estimates that in the first decade of integration, the industry will create more than 100,000 jobs and have an $82 billion impact on the economy.
As the FAA outlined the set of propose rules, the White House issued guidance to federal agencies on the use of UAVs, including measures to protect privacy, a key concern of many of the critics of the plan to introduce UAVs into the airspace.
The guidance limits the collection of information by unmanned systems to the authorized purpose, states that it cannot be retained for more than 180 days without justification, and that information gathering missions cannot violate the Constitution or privacy laws.