Category: Uncategorized

A recent poll reported by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) regarding the government use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, i.e. Drones, shows significant public concern over privacy issues and potential misuse by law enforcement. However, the poll also shows strong support for what is viewed as legitimate uses […]

Researchers from the University of Texas recently demonstrated how a civiliam UAS can be easily “spoofed” by jamming it with a fake GPS signal. Professor Todd Humphreys from Austin’s Radionavigation Laboratory concludes that, “Spoofing a GPS receiver on a UAV is just another way of hijacking a plane,” Click the link below to […]

Federal authorities from the National Park Service recently cited two individuals for operating a UAS near and around Alcatraz Island. On June 26th the UAS operators were working on a pictorial project involving images of Alcatraz. In doing so, they were taking aerial photographs of the historic location using an […]

In a recent advocacy update the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) reported that, “Congressional action regarding unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has reached an all-time high… policymakers have expressed concerns surrounding privacy issues related to how this technology will be used… five bills (have been) brought on the Hill, […]

June 21, Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta testified in a nomination hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with little fanfare and very little substance. Despite a 6 minute grilling by Committee Chairman John Rockefeller regarding FAA’s failure to implement new rules addressing airline pilot training in […]

VIP TFRs are a real aggravation for modelers. When the president comes to town it results in a disruption in our enjoyment of our hobby. However, for others it is a disruption in their daily lives and for some a true economic hardship. Does AMA believe that model aircraft operations […]

The prospect that thousands of drones could be patrolling U.S. skies by the end of this decade is raising the specter of a Big Brother government that peers into backyards and bedrooms. The worries began mostly on the political margins, but there are signs that ordinary people are starting to […]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) responds to concerns over the potential infringement of personal rights resulting from the use of government drones and moves to limit their use. On Tuesday the Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act requiring the government to get a warrant before using aerial drones to surveil U.S. […]

The Navy lost one of its unmanned aerial systems (aka, “drones”) in a crash in Maryland on Monday. The craft crashed in a sparsely inhabited area across the Chesapeake Bay from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where the drones are being used for training, according to the Navy. Read […]

You have probably noticed that the number and frequency of Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) affecting model aircraft have increased over the past several weeks. This is not too surprising and unfortunately the occurrence of TFRs is likely to increase even further as we get into the heart of the 2012 […]