Unmanned Aerial Systems – A Beginners Guide
An Introduction To The UAS Industry – Training, News and Comment
The FAA gave Amazon permission to start testing their latest UAS delivery service.
I won’t bother discussing the story in detail, or the practical limitations with UAS delivery as the law stands at the moment, i’ve written lots about it.
Just wanted to share the good news, with those who didn’t know. Now you do!
https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=82485
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/amazon-drone-faa-green-light/
TU
The House of Lords EU Committee is suggesting recommendations for a UAS owners register.
This has been on the horizon for the past year now, and i am fully behind most the recommendations. I appreciate the comments, that those wishing to use a UAV for illegal or terrorist activities, are not likely to register their name and home address! But it is a step in the right direction.
The database will initially include business and professional organisations. However i was under the impression that this information was already stored in the CAA database, which is available to the public. I blogged about on the 15th Feb, there were 483, this figure is grown to 536!
Click to access 26Feb15%20RptUAVcurrentDates.pdf
I wonder who the House of Lords wants to add to this list? Individual UAS Pilots name, business, CAA number and approval date? Or will this be the start of more Big Brother excuses from the Powers that Be, and every individual who buys a UAS has to register…..then how long is it before everyone who registers needs to pay an annual fee or ensure everyone has UAS insurance or even make every user pass a competency exam?
I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Britain and the CAA to lead the world in Commercial UAS regulations AND use. There is no point having all these rules but restricting their future application (AmazonPrime Air in looking at you guys). We are just scratching the surface for UAS application. For an industry set to worth Billions, employing Thousands across Europe, we need to get it right, right from the start.
This is all my wild speculation, and may not happen, but here are some recommendations that will….
All wise suggestions and i think these will be appreciated by the law abiding recreational and commercial UAS community in the UK….
What won’t help though, are frankly, stupid, comments made by those is power or authority. Professor David Dunn, who has written about this for the Royal Institute for International Affairs, was quoted saying…
“The technologies have the capacity to crash into people and kill them, as they have done in the States….”
WHAT!?!?!?!? Not one single person has EVER, been killed by a commercial UAS, in America or anywhere in the World. Yes, Military Drones kill people everyday, but no one has ever lost their life because of a rogue DJI Phantom! Comments like this, taken out of context do our Industry, no favours what so ever.
You can find more information of the story, from my source BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31735662
I will be keeping an eye on UAS forums over the next few days to gauge the response from those of us it will affect the most.
Safe flying
TU
Amazon released a statement stating they will still be looking to offer deliveries via UAS, regardless of the new FAA proposals.
Amazon Says FAA Proposals Won’t Ground Drone Delivery Plans
The new regulations are up for discussion for the next few months. Regardless of the outcome, Amazon is expecting it to take two years before these rules are actually implemented.
The main factor which will make or break ‘Drone Delivery’, in the US and UK, is Line of Sight. If FAA regulations stipulate UAS can only be operated a Pilot with Visual Line of Sight, then that stops Amazon, Dominos, Alibaba and so many smaller companies in their tracks.
I don’t expect to see UAV delivery in the UK for at least the next few years. One of the main problems isn’t mid air crashes, as these can be avoided by adhering to UAS height restrictions. I would suggest it will be trying to land safely in a built up residential area that is the difficult part. Overhead phone or electric wires are the obvious concern. What if a UAS lost signal and crashed onto a busy main road or a school, both common place in a residential area. Nothing good is the answer.
This is still a new industry. sometimes its best to walk first. The technology isn’t quiet there yet. ‘Smart Drones’, that can autonomous detect objects and correct course quickly, need to improve…an advanced version of the Optical Positioning system, DJI, have fitted to the new Inspire 1, could be designed to fulfil this task. Smart Drones of the future is the subject of my new post, so till then…..
TU
Unmanned Aerial Systems - A Beginners Guide 