Drone Safety Studies Around Manned Aviation, Manufacturer to Operator Education Requirements and Hyperlocal No-Fly Zones Among the Bill’s Highlights



The United States House and Senate agreed upon a new bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, which would fund the agency through September 2017. The House approved it Monday, July 12, and the Senate is expected to soon follow suit. Unveiled on July 7, and due on President Barack Obama’s desk by July 15, the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act details continuing and new efforts tasked to the agency to enable the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace. 



“The FAA extension represents another positive step forward for the commercial UAS industry, advancing UAS research, expanding commercial operations and enhancing the safety of the national airspace for all users – manned and unmanned,” said AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne, in a statement. 



Of the items related to unmanned aircraft in the bill, AUVSI influenced three major initiatives in the language.



First, The FAA is tasked to continue its work with NASA to continue developing an unmanned traffic management system. The plan will include an assessment of the interoperability of a UTM system that will work with potential future traffic management systems. The research plan is due in 60 days after the bill’s enactment and within 180 days, the FAA must submit a complete research plan and publish it on its website. 



Ninety days after the research plan is out, the FAA, NASA, the Drone Advisory Committee, and UAS industry representatives will establish a UTM system pilot program, which will end within two years of its formation. The FAA will have to update Congress on the status of the integration within every 180 days. 



Second, Section 333 exemptions will still be relevant for individuals and entities seeking to operate beyond line of sight, at night or in any manner prohibited through the new SUAS rule, released last month. 



Third, it also details the need for an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research and Development Roadmap. This research will include information on technology that needs advancement, like sense and avoid and cyber-physical systems. 



“While this measure will provide some short-term stability, it’s critical that Congress pass a long-term bill next year that will set the industry and the country on a glide path to reap all of the benefits of UAS,” says Wynne. “The extension is a good start, and AUVSI is hopeful that the measures contained within it will pave the way for a true, holistic plan for full UAS integration that goes further and higher, including beyond-line-of-sight operations, flights over people, access to higher altitudes and platforms above 55 pounds.”



Unmanned Integration

According to the bill, the FAA, the Department of Transportation, the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are tasked to bring together industry stakeholders to facilitate the development of standards for remotely identifying operators of UAS, including public and civil users. Their efforts will feed the development of an online database of UAS and their operators.



One year after the bill is enacted, the FAA administrator will submit a report on the standards the groups develop. Within one year after that, the administrator will issue regulations or guidance based on those standards. 



The bill also outlines penalties against reckless operators that interfere with firefighter, law enforcement or emergency response missions. That penalty maxes out at $20,000. Federal, state and local government UAS operating under an agreement to protect public safety are not subject to this fine.



The FAA will enter into an agreement with the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture in support of using UAS as a firefighting tool, and will work with other agencies to integrate drones into other civil operations, like working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Energy in support of utility restoration.



The bill discusses an emergency exemption process for civil and public UAS operators that are flying to gather information after a catastrophe or other emergency, for efforts like restoring infrastructure and search and rescue. The bill language calls for this exemption or certification to be in place within 90 days. These exemptions will not require public notice or comment. 



Safety Near Manned Aircraft

The FAA will further its pilot program to mitigate the hazardous use of UAS at airports and near other critical infrastructure locations. The effort is getting some financial backing, with $6 million from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund for this program. The pilot program will allow the FAA to use UAS detection systems, to detect and mitigate operation of a UAS that poses a risk to aviation safety. The FAA is currently addressing this through one of its Pathfinder programs.



As a part of the airport mitigation program, the FAA has 18 months after the enactment of the bill to submit a report to Congress on the results. The report will be classified; however, the FAA can choose to include an unclassified summary.



The FAA is also tasked with researching through “comprehensive testing or modeling” what would occur in an unmanned and manned aircraft collision.



Manufacturer Mandate

Government agencies aren’t the only entities with new responsibilities in the bill. Manufacturers of small UAS will have to make information available to operators about laws and regulations regarding UAS, recommendations for safe use, inform users of applicable airman tests, model aircraft requirements. Violators are subject to civil penalties. AUVSI, Academy of Model Aeronautics and FAA drone safety campaign Know Before You Fly currently performs this action on a participatory basis. 



Facility Flight Restrictions

The bill also empowers applicants to petition the FAA to prohibit or restrict UAS operations near a fixed site, essentially creating ongoing temporary flight restrictions over these areas. This includes sites like oil refineries, amusement parts and chemical facilities. The FAA must respond to these applicants, but applications that are denied can be continually resubmitted.

<< Back to the News