FAA Waivers May Be Required Last summer, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its first regulations allowing commercial flights of small unmanned aircraft (sUAS, colloquially known as drones). As we reported, those rules place a number of restrictions on flying drones for commercial use, although the agency provided the opportunity to obtain waivers of some … Continue Reading
Era of widespread small UAS commercial operation takes off. As of August 29, the FAA’s new rules permitting commercial operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, also known as “drones”) have taken effect. (And, just in time, the FAA has announced that the Office of Management and Budget has signed off on the “information collections” … Continue Reading
Congress orders FAA to require marking for some towers 200’ or less [Blogmeister’s Note: This post was originally published on the website of Radio World. Our friends at RW have graciously given us permission to include it here.] If you own a tower that’s between 50 and 200 feet tall, the chances are that you … Continue Reading
New rules set stage for next phase of UAS operation in U.S. skies The wait is over: nine months after a Congressionally-mandated deadline, the FAA has finally issued rules for the commercial operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, known familiarly as “drones”) in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The Order – which officially … Continue Reading
Many readers will recall our promotional posts about the webinar on the current status of UAS regulation scheduled for last week. (Wait a minute – UAS? You may be more used to hearing about “drones”, but you’d better get used to referring to them as “Unmanned Aircraft Systems”, because that’s how the FAA refers to … Continue Reading
“Broadcasters and Drones – Staying Street-Legal in the Sky” This is a reminder that FHH drone mavens Laura Stefani and Jon Markman will be presenting a webinar on the current state of FAA regulation of drones – or, as the FAA prefers to call them, “unmanned aircraft systems”, or “UASs”. The webinar will be available … Continue Reading
[Blogmeister’s Note: While our colleague, Kevin Goldberg, may have some reservations about the utility of drones under the present state of FAA regulation, the fact remains that many broadcasters and other newsgatherers are still eager to take advantage of the opportunities drones currently provide. Anyone wishing to do so should take care to understand what … Continue Reading
But legislation currently in the works could improve prospects considerably. It seems like everybody’s been talking about drones and the myriad ways that they will make our lives better. Even we here in the CommLawBlog bunker have devoted considerable attention to the topic (although we’re trying to get our readers used to the proper terminology: … Continue Reading
Online sign-ups start December 21 for hobbyists, March 31 for non-recreational drones As the final day of Hanukkah arrived and Santa’s Christmas Eve trek loomed just ten days ahead, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) complicated the lives of those of us who have given, or plan to give, their nearest and dearest this year’s Hot … Continue Reading
The FAA’s efforts to get its arms around the massive proliferation of drones – which are technically referred to as “unmanned aircraft systems”, or “UAS”, in FAA parlance – continue. Those who have been following the situation know that Congress had given the FAA a September 30, 2015 deadline by which to develop and implement … Continue Reading
If you want to use your drone for your business, you’ll need to know what to ask for and how to ask for it. Let’s be honest: you want a drone, just like the rest of us. (True fact: We here in the CommLawBlog bunker have frequently fantasized about flying our own – appropriately branded … Continue Reading
Interim update on interim FAA policy As we reported earlier this year, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has opened a proceeding looking at “best practices” for the commercial and private use of drones. NTIA’s first multistakeholder confab was held here in Washington on August 3 to explore some of the questions on the … Continue Reading
Nearly a year ago we reported on some regulatory weedwhacking that pruned some (but by no means all) of the things that tower owners need to worry about when it comes to the FCC’s Antenna Structure Regulations. Most of the revised rules took effect last October. As often happens, though, a couple were left in … Continue Reading
After nearly a decade, the FAA has advised that it is no longer pursuing a proposal that would have inserted it deeply into the regulation of FM stations.… Continue Reading
If you've got one or more tower structures, you may be in luck. The FCC has at long last taken a weed-whacker to Part 17 of its rules.… Continue Reading
The FAA is still "looking into" the use of drones for TV newsgathering. Meanwhile, a Texas search-and-rescue group has asked the D.C. Circuit to weigh in.… Continue Reading
A lot of us hate turning off our electronic devices. We have to sit there, bored, and leaf through the SkyMall catalogue, hoping the pilot knows what he's doing.… Continue Reading
Somewhat like the Queen of Hearts' "Sentence first, verdict afterwards," the FAA has already prepared its draft report, and now seeks public comment on it.… Continue Reading
As aircraft became increasingly computerized and electronic displays proliferated in the cockpit, the possible targets of on-board interference have increased. Passengers' equipment has likewise become computerized and proliferated. And passenger complaints have mounted.… Continue Reading
