In a move that will integrate small drones into American airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration proposed rules for these pilotless, untethered flying machines for commercial purposes.

The FAA's proposed rules stipulating operational limits, operator certification and aircraft requirements are draft regulations that must still undergo public and federal review before official adoption. They're not expected to take effect until 2017 at the earliest.

The newly released draft renders obsolete FAA rules—antiquated in the eyes of the drone industry—that require, for example, [drone] operators to be "licensed pilots."

However, still intact are "see and avoid" principles ("[drones] must always see and avoid manned aircraft. If there is a risk of collision, the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operator must be the first to manoeuvre away."); aircraft registration requirement; [drones] must fly within line of sight of the operator.

The stipulation for line-of-sight operation appears to make impractical plans for companies such as Amazon to deliver packages via drones.

Has the FAA gone far enough with these newly proposed rules to encourage drones in the U.S. aviation system? The answer will differ, depending on where one's position in the drone debate. Regardless, drone makers now have a framework to work with. Until now, the FAA has simply banned—without a consistent system of enforcement—any use of commercial drones.

Clearly, in some areas, the FAA is willing to make only incremental changes. For example, under existing rules, drones can't fly higher than 400ft. The new regulations put the ceiling at 500ft.

There are already complaints that the FAA's proposed regulations are likely to slow down the drone market. The federal agency sees it differently, estimating that the new rules will prompt roughly 7,000 businesses to get permits within three years.

In a nutshell, here's what the proposed rules allow:

Operational limits
•maximum weight: 55lbs
•maximum altitude: 500ft
•maximum speed: 100mph
•must remain in the line of sight of the operator at all times

Operator requirements
•at least 17 years old
•must have passed an initial aeronautical knowledge test and
•obtain an operating certificate
•must pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months and
•be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration

Banned by the draft regulations include night-time flying and drone flight above 18,000ft. With special Air Traffic Control clearance, drones can be flown at altitudes between 500ft and 18,000ft, but no exception is allowed above 18,000ft.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved