The Department of Transportation grant of economic authority to unmanned aircraft systems operators for transporting property through the air is “an important step to expedite UAS delivery operations in the U.S.,” the Small UAV Coalition said Monday. “The Coalition has long encouraged DOT to take this step and is pleased that it will be available to operators as the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) gets underway.”
The FAA Reauthorization Act would “add much needed provisions on unmanned aircraft systems regulation, safety certification, and other critical aviation programs,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Executive Vice President Suzanne Clark in a letter to House lawmakers Wednesday. HR-4 reauthorizes FAA programs.
Samsung Electronics in Korea landed a U.S. design patent Tuesday that further suggests the company may be contemplating entering the still-emerging, but booming, consumer drones market, Patent and Trademark Office records show. The patent lists three Korean inventors and is based on a January 2017 application, say the records. Sister subsidiary Samsung Display landed a patent last month for a “flying display device” that first fueled speculation that a Samsung drone offering might be looming in the not-too-distant future. Samsung representatives didn’t comment Tuesday. U.S. dollar sales of drones increased 33 percent in 2017 over 2016, with dollar sales of drones priced $500 and above generating 69 percent of the overall sales revenue in the category, said NPD in a March 15 retail tracking report.
The Aerospace Industries Association asked the FCC to act on technical and operational rules for using the 5030-5091 MHz band for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) controls, in a Friday petition. The FCC reallocated the band for that use last March as part of an order in docket 15-99 implementing changes from the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference. “Regulators at the FCC and industry users of spectrum should support our recommendations and set forth a firm and empowering regulatory structure that will encourage development of the multitude of benefits that UAS offer and help our industry realize its great potential,” blogged David Silver, AIA vice president-civil aviation. Medium to large UAS offer huge potential for the commercial sector, Silver said. “Spectrum resources that allow the operator both to maintain control of the aircraft and to receive critical flight data -- known as ‘command and control’ (C2) -- are an absolute requirement for non-autonomous UAS to operate safely and efficiently in any airspace.” For UAS to use the band, the FCC must first establish rules, the petition said. Since drones will share the spectrum, the agency should approve a dynamic frequency assignment process “using one or more Frequency Assignment Managers (FAMs) designated by the Commission to ensure efficient spectrum access and reuse of the frequencies across multiple geographic areas,” the petition said. “Many details of the frequency assignment process system should be left to the discretion of the FAM(s) subject to certain basic guidelines and requirements.” The commission didn't comment. Meanwhile, organizers of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games deployed a record 1,218 drones during the opening ceremony Friday night Korea time. CTA is reviewing the request, a spokeswoman said Friday.
CTA, groups representing drone makers and users and aviation industry associations asked the FAA to investigate a video that shows an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flying directly above an airliner making its final approach at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. A video hit the internet Friday. “This careless and reckless behavior endangers the safety of our airspace for all users,” said Monday's letter to acting Administrator Daniel Elwell, included in an email blast the next day. “We urge the FAA to use its full authority to investigate, identify, and apprehend the operator of this UAS flight and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We also encourage the FAA to work with law enforcement in Las Vegas and Nevada to pursue all applicable charges within their authority.” The agency said it's investigating. “Although details are still emerging about the nature of the operations, it seems certain that the stunt violated FAA regulations,” blogged Wiley lawyers Sara Baxenberg and Josh Turner. “The only questions appear to be which ones, and how many?”
The Small UAV Coalition urged FAA acting Administrator Daniel Elwell to “immediately move” to adopt a proposed rule that would establish “standards for remote identification and tracking” of drones and other unmanned aerial systems. A UAS standards rule should require all “operators who are required to register with the FAA to abide by remote identification and tracking requirements,” said Friday's letter: “Those efforts should build on” recommendations that the UAS Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee included in a final report submitted to the FAA in September. “There are difficult choices to be made with respect to the technological solutions identified in the Final Report, data requirements, data collection and storage, and how best to ensure effective implementation throughout the diverse universe of UAS operators,” the group said of the letter, publicized Monday. “Because identification and tracking technology continues to evolve, the proposed rule should be based on performance standards; this will enable industry to innovate and improve identification and tracking solutions over time. The notice-and-comment process will provide the opportunity to resolve these important issues and any necessary standards could and should be developed in parallel.”
Satellite communications for unmanned aircraft systems represent potentially $19.7 billion in revenue between 2016 and 2026, and commercial UAS imaging will be worth a cumulative $4.3 billion, Northern Sky Research said Thursday. NSR said accelerated adoption for government and military use worldwide is driving the potential UAS satcom and imaging growth. With more UAS use in the U.S., China and Middle East, more than 8,000 satcom units will be in service by 2026, NSR said.
Drones weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds must be registered with the FAA, due to new rules included in the National Defense Authorization Act signed by President Donald Trump Dec. 12, Wiley Rein blogged Monday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in May vacated a previous rule requiring drone registration (see 1705190052). The defense bill reinstated the rule, instituted to increase security and safety with small drone operations, the communications law firm said. Failure to comply with the new law could result in civil penalties up to $27,500 and criminal penalties including fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment up to three years.
The FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment on a request by Echodyne to make ground-based use of its metamaterial electronically scanning array (MESA) system, a low-power, low-cost, radar operating in the 24.45-24.65 GHz band. “Echodyne states that it originally developed the MESA for airborne use in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to detect and avoid (DAA) obstacles, but users have expressed interest in using it as a ground-based security and surveillance radar,” the bureau said in a Monday notice. “In response, Echodyne developed a model that is optimized for ground-based use.” Potential uses include UAS traffic management, UAS detection at airports, prisons and other sensitive sites and ground perimeter surveillance, the bureau said. Comments are due Jan. 10, replies Jan. 25, in docket 17-352.
President Donald Trump called for a new drone safety program Wednesday, directing the Transportation Department to work with state and local governments in select jurisdictions to safely integrate unmanned air technologies into national airspace. CTA praised the move as a "smart way to engage local governments and community stakeholders," said Vice President-Technology Policy Doug Johnson. Drone sales in the U.S. will reach 3.4 million units this year, up 40 percent from 2016, and $1.1 billion in revenue, CTA reports. The Small UAV Coalition, which joined 30 organizations in a recent letter to Trump asking for such a program, supported the move. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., praised the drone program directive, saying it would provide "sensible direction" for increasing safety. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International said the program will be helpful as more businesses deploy drones.