On January 14, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights by granting Massachusetts-based American Robotics, Inc. permission to operate drones without hands-on piloting and...more
As was recently reported in Robinson+Cole’s Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Insider, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued two Final Rules for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), i.e., drones: (1) requiring Remote...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been granting drone flight waivers for certain restricted flights to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the FAA says that it is unlikely the waivers will extend beyond current...more
Three companies – HeatSpring, Little Arms, and Unmanned Experts – joined forces to create a “Drone Pilot Boot Camp + FAA Part 107 Exam Prep.” This new offering is an unmanned aircraft commercial operations course designed...more
COVID-19’s severe impact on some major metropolitan areas has been attributed to their density, infrastructure and inherent difficulty with “social distancing.” This same challenge with social distancing has led to either...more
Canada’s drone industry is taking off. Like its neighbor to the south, the commercial remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) industry is growing quickly. In Canada, the industry has doubled in size every two years over the...more
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) delivery operations would be required to obtain a commercial air operator certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 119, as...more
In August 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) promulgated new Part 107 regulations concerning small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (“sUAS”) (popularly known as drones), thus allowing expanded use of drones for...more
Even though the FAA Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) was hamstrung during the partial government shutdown, the Administration released two draft documents that will soon be published in the Federal Register. Both...more
State Farm has become the very first company in the United States to receive a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for drone operations over people and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The waiver is...more
Avitas Systems, a General Electric (GE) venture, received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly a large unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator in Loving...more
The commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) market is taking off in the United States and around the world. Recent innovations have transformed what used to be considered toys into powerful tools that provide...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced new partners in its Low Altitude and Notification Capability (LAANC) initiative. ...more
For the first time in the U.S., a commercial drone equipped with a parachute safety system was permitted to fly over people during a football game in North Dakota last week....more
Last week, on the two-year anniversary of the small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) rule (or Part 107), a report was released by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) stating that the Federal...more
Cleared for Landing highlights significant developments and issues relating to aviation law and asset finance globally and is published jointly by our Aviation Industry and Banking & Asset Finance practice groups. This...more
The use of small unmanned aircraft systems (“sUAS” and commonly referred to as drones) has exploded over the past few years, with associated technology advancing rapidly. In part, this has been the result of the Federal...more
Praxis Aerospace Concepts International (PACI) announced this week that it has been granted a Part 107 waiver under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) regulations to fly drones...more
Last Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a “refresher” on its Part 107 rule for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) in a “Fact Sheet” available. The Fact Sheet outlines all the basics of...more
On March 6, 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the nationwide expansion of its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) to 500 more airports, and include 300 air traffic control...more
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has launched a new unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) program for public safety purposes....more
Public Relations and Government Affairs Director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, Chad Budreau, says that Ball State University’s (Ball State) “Policy for the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)” violates the...more
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) and state officials are currently building plans to use drones to deliver emergency supplies across the state; however, several hurdles need to be overcome first....more
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) are getting better (and cheaper) each day, which means that more and more businesses will be using drones to carry out everyday tasks. However, with respect to compliance and...more
Now that 2017 is wrapped up, a look back at what happened in drone world in 2017 and a look to what might happen in 2018 is warranted. While there were several exciting developments, this article will focus on a handful of...more