There are still many questions to be answered in the coming days and weeks with the passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act. Here is a question and answer that will be added to the FAQ section of this blog. Q. Now that Congress has enacted a provision to […]
Continue readingCongress Passes Four-Year FAA Funding Bill
The U.S. Senate followed the House of Representatives in passing the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, H.R. 658. Passage of the Bill puts in place a provision aimed at protecting model aviation from burdensome regulation. This would never have been possible if it wasn’t for the efforts and support of […]
Continue readingLawmakers Agree on Four-Year FAA Bill
Lawmakers have come to an agreement on the long awaited FAA RE-Authorization Bill. The Bill now moves out of Conference Committee and onto the House and Senate floor for a final vote. Passage of the Bill could come as early as the first of next week. Read the full article […]
Continue readingFAA Cracking Down on UAS Use
LAPD advises California realtors that UAS operators may be violating federal guidelines, warns of possible enforcement action. Here is an example of UAS being used by California realtors. Read the full article in AV Web.
Continue readingMoney Matters Unresolved
Yesterday the House passed H.R. 3800 extending FAA’s funding until 2/17/2012. Lawmakers will now begin work on the broader issues of the Re-Authorization Bill, H.R. 658. The remaining issues included overall spending authority (House, $14.8 billion – Senate, $17.4 billion) and such things as how shipments of lithium batteries can […]
Continue readingDifference Engine: Unblinking Eye in The Sky
One of the better articles I’ve read regarding the technological and socialogical issues facing integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace. The reader posts at the end of the article are especially interesting. Read more in The Economist.
Continue readingLawmakers Settle FAA Dispute
Congressional leaders on Friday resolved a bitter labor dispute that has held up long-term funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, leading to almost 4,000 federal workers being furloughed last summer and jeopardizing the timeline for a $40 billion overhaul of the nation’s aviation system. Read the full article in the Washington […]
Continue readingWait and See Mode
We now know that the release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the small Unmanned Aircraft Systems rule has officially slipped to ‘Spring 2012’. However, there’s still a chance we may see the NPRM sooner rather than later and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the proposed rule […]
Continue readingsUAS NPRM Slips to ‘Spring 2012’
In a recent meeting with representatives of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Program Office, it was learned that publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) rule has again been delayed by several months. Going into the 2011/2012 holiday season we believed that the […]
Continue readingFAA Administrator Resigns after DUI
Deputy administrator Michael Huerta is now at the helm of the FAA following Randy Babbitt’s resignation. It’s likely a new administrator will not be appointed until after the 2012 election which means Mr. Huerta will be in charge throughout the sUAS NPRM review and Final Rule process.
Read more at the Washington Post
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