WASHINGTON—In an important development for news organizations and video producers using drones, the Federal Communications Commission updated its Covered List of banned products to remove four Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). The agency made the move after the Department of War (DoW) determined they do to not pose national security risks.

The Covered List is a listing of products that can not be sold in the U.S.

In December of 2025, following an interagency determination of unacceptable national security risks, the FCC added all UAS and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country to the Covered List, preventing them getting approval for the import or sale of new models in the U.S.

The agency stressed that the ban is on the sale of new models and products that have not been approved. Owners of existing products from DJI and other manufacturers who were put on the Covered list can still be used and operated, though getting parts to repair them could pose problems.

In January of this year, DoW made a further determination that (until Jan. 1, 2027), three types of UAS and UAS critical components do not pose security risks and the FCC removed them from Covered List.

Those three types are: (1) UAS and UAS critical components included on DoW’s Blue UAS Cleared List; (2) UAS and UAS critical components that qualify as “domestic end products” under the Buy American Standard; and (3) UAS and UAS critical components that receive “Conditional Approval.”

On March 18, the FCC received its first batch of Conditional Approvals and updated the Covered List accordingly to exempt “devices which have been granted Conditional Approval.”

The four exemptions are:

• SiFly Aviation, Inc. Q12 Uncrewed Aircraft System
• Mobilicom SkyHopper Series / M Band / Tactical Data Link, Various Controllers, and ICE, OS3 Security Software
• ScoutDI Scout 137 Uncrewed Aircraft System
• Verge, Inc. X1 Uncrewed Aircraft System

OTTAWA—Recent changes to Federal Aviation Administration rules governing flight authorizations for drones (aka unmanned aerial systems/UAS or unmanned aerial vehicles/UAVs) now allow for expanded missions with less red tape. These changes, along with other recent positive advances, illustrate the advances that have taken place over the past decade as the use of UASs for TV coverage has blossomed.

More Trust from Regulators 
The responsible, disciplined approach to UAS pilot training and operations pursued by U.S. broadcasters has paid off. Impressed by their willingness to embrace the spirit of the law as well as the letter, the FAA has revised their rules to give the industry more flexibility. 

The new rules, “Remote ID and Operations Over People,” which the FAA published in December 2020, required UAS operators to be in compliance by September 2023 and signal a pathway to expanded flight operations, according to Jeff Rose, UAS Chief Pilot with Sinclair Broadcast Group. 

“With these new rules we now also have the ability to obtain LAANC authorizations [Low Altitude Authorization Notification Authorization Capability] for flying at night in restricted airspace,” Rose said. “This automated service allows near instantaneous authorizations for night flying in restricted airspace, which is a big benefit for newsgathering.”

Scott Wilder, senior vice president of field and production operations at Fox News, describes the FAA’s improved LAANC authorization application process as “the best advance that I can speak to on the regulatory front. What used to take 60 days now takes 60 seconds. It is a true game changer. The FAA is doing a phenomenal job with it.”

That’s not all: “The FAA has been working to make it easier to fly and easier to obtain permissions to fly in locations not previously available,” Wilder added. “The FAA is also proving to be 24/7. When we have waiver requests on a Sunday evening, we hear back in an efficient manner.”

Another area where the FAA is providing more leeway to responsible UAS operators is the “Operations Over People” rule applying to pilots who fly under Part 107 of the FAA regulations, according to Dr. Shaun Passley, founder of ZenaTech, developer of the ZenaDrone 1000 totally autonomous (self-flying) UAS. “This rule allows UAV pilots to operate at night under specific conditions and provided that they complete certain training or pass knowledge tests,” he said.

Remote ID Makes the Difference
The FAA’s more expansive attitude towards UAS operations is built upon its requirement for these aircraft to be equipped with Standard Remote ID (SRID) transmitters.

“SRID enables the transmission of the drone serial number, brand, GPS, geometric altitude, geometric location, velocity, time of the day, emergency status, and more,” said Claudio Lisman, president, CEO and founder of ProximaVision, a consulting firm specializing in drone and nanosatellite technologies. “UAVs must have their SRIDs operational from the moment of takeoff to shut down, broadcasting message elements at 1Hz [once per second], no later than one second after the measurement of position. In fact, the vehicle will not be able to take off unless it has transmitted all of the required message elements.”

Requiring UASs to carry and use SRIDs at all times makes it possible to integrate them into air traffic control systems alongside manned aircraft. As such, “making SRIDs mandatory in manufactured drones will enable much better traffic management, security, and new applications, such as flying over areas that have been restricted up to now,” Lisman added. “It will also allow flying UAVs over people, which in the case of news and production, is almost always required.”

The SRID requirement simply expands options, according to Wilder. “The SRID rule allows us more opportunities to have a drone in the air; most recently during Hurricane Ian, hours before the heart of the storm impacted the west coast of Florida,” he said.

“Remote ID also lays the foundation of the safety and security groundwork needed for more complex drone operations,” said Dr. Passley. “The rule provides crucial information to our national security and law enforcement partners and other agencies charged with ensuring public safety.” 

A New, Better View for TV News
Anyone who has been watching TV news the past two years knows how integral drone footage has become for covering stories effectively. Small wonder: Overhead drone footage can provide a framing context to a story unavailable to ground-based cameras. As well, the motion associated with drone footage makes any news story look better: it’s just more exciting to watch. 

These capabilities have allowed Fox News to cover stories in entirely new ways. Take for example, the influx of undocument immigrants at the Texas/Mexico border, where Fox News has been flying drones like the DJI Matrice with thermal imaging for over a year. This kind of high-tech capability “allows us to fly at night and show what looks like high-quality surveillance images of the migrant crisis,” said Wilder. “Every day we capture the surge of migrants happening that you can’t see from the same location on the ground. Our drone coverage on the border has changed the way that story is being told.”

That being said, what really makes UASs so useful to TV news departments is their ability to deploy extremely quickly and start capturing memorable footage fast. “A drone will almost always be able to arrive on the scene faster than a car or mobile unit,” Lisman said. “That is why drones are ideal for coverage of fires, demonstrations, war zones, and sports events applications in TV news and broadcast.”

These advantages explain why UASs are proving to be as significant an enhancement to TV news production as video cameras were with their instant access to recorded footage (compared to film), and satellite trucks for getting coverage out of anywhere fast. 

The result: “Local TV newscasts are using drone video daily for expanded storytelling as well as breaking news coverage,” said Rose. “Our viewers love drone video and have come to expect it regularly whether it is a compelling news story or just beautiful weather shots.” This is why Sinclair now employs 133 pilots across its station, many of whom carry a UAS with them as part of their kit. “This leads to fresh drone content daily,” he said.

BVLOS: The Next Frontier
As far as TV news UASs have come, there is still one frontier to be conquered: “Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (BVLOS) flight allows the ability to send UASs beyond the view of their operators, navigating their path by using video feeds from their cameras plus any onboard self-flying (autonomous) capabilities.

“Currently, the FAA provides waivers to professional pilots and certain organizations so they can fly BVLOS,” said Lisman; “however, those waivers are hard to obtain. The main limitation is the communication and range between the drone and pilot control. In addition, the latency needs to be very low when flying long distances. This is important, as the pilot needs real-time awareness of the topography and the terrain below.”

Historically, broadcasters such as Fox News have been “very conservative” in the kinds of UAS flight profiles they choose, an approach that has won them trust from the FAA and public alike.

“Safety is our number one priority,” Wilder explained. “I recently denied a request after thinking long and hard about it because I knew what was being requested would look amazing. But I also knew that a lower altitude safer version would be almost as amazing. We aren’t looking to impress anyone, we are looking to offer visual advantages that didn’t previously exist in the safest possible manner.”

The challenges of safe BVLOS flight are being addressed by UAS manufacturers and operators today. And when they are sufficiently resolved by SRID, onboard aircraft avoidance detection systems, and autonomous drones, expect TV news organizations to cross the BVLOS frontier in record numbers.

“In the future, when drones are flying everywhere for package delivery, there will likely be drones used for news gathering flown both with a pilot in the field as we do now and also piloted remotely from beyond visual line of site,” Rose predicted. “These BVLOS drone operations could potentially be piloted remotely from the TV station or pre-deployed as a ‘drone in a box’ at strategic locations. 

Rose said Sinclair will even use ATSC 3.0 technology as it becomes incorporated into drone flights, for greater precision and more accuracy. “The use of ATSC is 100 times more precise than GPS alone, allowing for more accurate navigation [from 3 meters with GPS down to 3 centimeters using ATSC datacasting],” he said. 

“Every day it gets better and better,” Scott Wilder concluded. “I think within several years every photographer will be a Part 107 pilot and have their own drone. That will be a big change to expect that every story assigned has a Part 107 photographer shooting the story with the ability to have aerial imagery.” 

Drones are here to stay. And that’s exciting news for the head of the National Association of Tower Erectors, who sees a bright future in terms of new applications and refined safety regulations surrounding the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Radio World spoke with Todd Schlekeway, executive director of NATE, about the organization’s connection to the Commercial Drone Alliance, his takeaway on the provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, and how drones are being put to use as broadcasters deal with tall tower work due to the repack.

Radio World:What is your organization’s take on the usage of drones in the broadcast tower space?

Todd Schlekeway: NATE has been an enthusiastic supporter of expanding commercial UASes for some time. We joined the Commercial Drone Alliance [an organization committed to growing the commercial drone industry] about a year and a half ago. It’s clear that our industry could be benefactors [of legislation surrounding drones] over the long term.

Radio World:What specifically were you pleased to see implemented specific in the recent FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018?

Schlekeway: The key areas we were interested in [seeing implanting] were more flexibility with the waiver process, remote identification, and changes to tower marking.

One of the highlights is that [the act] expands and makes the waiver process streamlined and easier to use. Previously, unless you are an organization or company with a waiver to fly at night, beyond visual line-of-sight or over people, you had to file [a waiver] and that process took a long time. This FAA Reauthorization Act will set in motion a streamlined approach [to getting waivers approved].

From the commercial UAS perspective, we were very happy to see [the removal] of a clause from the previous authorization that essentially exempted hobbyist users from any remote identification. So this act is going to set forth a [procedure by which] all users are going to have to have remote ID.

This is significant because any time there is a registered drone, there will be accountability. Accountability breeds safety. That’s significant. The hobbyist community is very passionate about drones.

There’s also a provision impacting the previous tower marking mandate that was part of a short-term extension in 2016 [that] mandated that all towers between 50 feet and 199 feet be marked. Of course those towers over 200 feet are already lit and marked.

We fought hard against that; we don’t have the work force to retroactively [mark those towers]. It was one of those things that went too far by sweeping in communication towers. The 2018 act walked that mandate back. Now, those towers just need to be entered into a database.

Radio World:What kinds of reports are you getting from tower companies about how broadcasters are using drones?

Schlekeway: I reached out to two prominent broadcast contractors that are heavily involved with the repack and both had said they were using drones extensively with their tall tower work — specifically related to the repack. It’s just a different animal from a technical and engineering point of view. Technicians need to have a different skill set. This is a really specialized skill that not every company is capability of doing.

Some of the use cases [these contractors] were using UASes for were for complex construction such as rigging candelabras. Or using them to monitor their equipment with video and photo footage to look at structural analysis. Drones are useful to determine a lot of rigging obstructions, going to spots technicians can’t get to. There’s no question [drones] are playing a role.

Radio World: What else should radio and TV facility managers know?

Schlekeway: The broadcast industry needs to stay attuned to the evolving regulatory landscape. It’s about to get more flexible but you have stay up to date on the regulatory side of the house.

Use of these drones is going to continue to increase year over year. But there’s now a higher level of training needed. At a recent UAS summit, reps from several industries said “if we’re going to go allow your contractor on our site, your guy better be trained higher than just the baseline.” There’s a need for graduated training requirements.

Radio World: What are your thoughts on the future role that drones will play in our industry?

Schlekeway: We are “all in” on what they can do for the broadcast side and for cellular sites. But they not a replacement for the workplace. [They are] a powerful supplemental tool for the team to work safely and more efficiently and to streamline their work process.

Drones are here to stay. As use cases continue to evolve, stay attuned to the regulatory landscape.

Radio World: It’s a time of immense change for the industry.

Schlekeway: It’s exciting to see. I envision the day when every contractor company has a drone as a part of their operation, as a part of their toolkit. We’re not too far from that reality.

WASHINGTON—Last week’s court ruling vacating the federal drone registration requirement drew a mixed response from industry parties around the world. The world’s largest drone manufacturer instituted its own registration program, restricting access to full activation.

“If this activation process is not performed… Live camera streaming will be disabled, and flight will be limited to a 50-meter (164-foot) radius up to 30 meters (98 feet) high,” DJI announced over the weekend.

The drone-maker’s decision came two days after the ruling by U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit striking down the FAA’s registration requirement. DJI did not respond immediately to the ruling, but shared a statement from Drone Manufacturers Alliance Executive Director Kara Calvert:

"DMA is studying the implications of today’s registration-related court ruling, but believes the existing system has worked well to protect the interests of safe and responsible pilots as well as the interests of society at large.”

Model aircraft got swept up in the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone registration requirement process. The FAA made registration statutory in December, 2015, for all unmanned aircraft between 0.55 and 55 pounds, including model aircraft. It was a model aircraft enthusiast who challenged the statute and won.

The model aircraft lobby in Muncie, Ind., said its own registration program was working just fine.

“AMA is encouraged to see the court affirm the strength of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft, otherwise known as Section 336, under which our members operate,” said Rich Hanson, president of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. “For decades, AMA members have registered their aircraft with AMA and have followed our community-based safety programming. It is our belief that a community-based program works better than a federally mandated program to manage the recreational community.”
More than 626,000 hobby drones were registered with the FAA at the end of last year. The agency estimated that there were another 474,000 that were not registered. Based on registrations and available data, the FAA forecast that “the hobbyist fleet will likely—base scenario—more than triple in size over the next five years, from 1.1 million units in 2016 to over 3.5 million units by 2021,” or as many as 4.5 million on the high side.
Drones registered for commercial operations numbered 44,000—around 1,000 per week since registration for those opened in April of 2016. The commercial fleet is expected to reach 420,000 by 2021. ~ FAA UAS Forecast

Registration was through the FAA’s web portal. It requires name, home address, email address, and generates a certification of registration and proof of ownership with a unique identifying number that had to be marked on the drone—like a license plate on a car. Total cost, $5. More than 626,000 were registered by the end of last year (See sidebar.)

For DJI, the No. 1 supplier of civilian drones worldwide, the registry was a practical way to manage what is shaping up to be an explosion of drones in U.S. airspace. The FAA has estimated that there could be as many as 4.5 million drones in U.S. airspace by 2021. The Consumer Technology Association also predicts that this will be the year drone sales blow past $1 billion, up 62 percent over 2016.

DJI’s drones are not like radio-controlled model aircraft of yore, but sophisticated, camera-equipped computers capable of 3D flight patterns, for a few hundred bucks. They have been employed for use in movies, newsgathering, infrastructure inspection and more. There is momentum to use them for making deliveries, most notably driven by Amazon, though Americans remain skeptical.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a D.C. lobby focused on commercial and scientific drone applications, said it was “disappointed” by the court’s decision, and on Tuesday, the organization’s president and CEO testified before a House subcommittee on clearing the way for drone deliveries.

“We need a new national imperative in unmanned systems that, like the air traffic control system and interstate highway system before it, creates greater capacity, reduces road congestion, fulfills consumer demand and facilitates the future of commerce,” Wynne said. “Industry is bringing the technology; government needs to do more to support it and advance innovations such as delivery services.”

Many commercial drone operations have waivers to operate beyond the FAA’s daylight-only, line-of-sight 400-foot ceiling—rules known as “Park 7.” The UAVSI says 314 have been issued, a majority of them for DJI drones.

(Updated 3:15 p.m.ET to include FAA statement.) WASHINGTON—A federal court has struck down the Federal Aviation Administration’s drone registration rule. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today ruled in favor of John Taylor, a Washington, D.C. model aircraft enthusiast who challenged the FAA’s registration requirement in court.

“The 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act provides that the FAA ‘may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft,’ yet the FAA’s 2015 Registration Rule is a ‘rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.’ Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The registration rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft,” the ruling stated.

The FAA first opened up the web-based registration for model unmanned aircraft owners on Dec. 21, 2015. More than 300,000 drones were registered within the first month. Registration required information on the manufacturer, model and serial number, in addition to the owner’s physical and email addresses. Each $5 registration covered a single aircraft for a period of three years.

The agency expanded the registry in March of 2016 to include commercial drone operators, who had previously been required to obtain special FAA authorization. It is not clear if the ruling covers commercial operations since it implicitly states that, “Unmanned aircraft operated for recreational purposes are known as ‘model aircraft,’ and we will use that term throughout this opinion.”

In a statement issued Friday afternoon, the FAA said it was digesting the ruling:
“We are carefully reviewing the U.S. Court of Appeals decision as it relates to drone registrations. The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision.”

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, or AUVSI, issued the following statement regarding the court’s determination:

“AUVSI is disappointed with the decision today by the U.S. Court of Appeals to reject the FAA’s rule for registering recreational unmanned aircraft systems. A UAS registration system is important to promote accountability and responsibility by users of the national airspace, and helps create a culture of safety that deters careless and reckless behavior. We plan to work with Congress on a legislative solution that will ensure continued accountability across the entire aviation community, both manned and unmanned.”

The drone registry was conceived of by a task force set up by the FAA and the Department of Transportation, in an ongoing effort to safely integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into national airspace since the little quadcopter types started swarming the consumer market. According to a January 2017 forecast from the Consumer Technology Association, “Total drone sales are expected to reach new heights in 2017, topping 3.4 million units—a 40 percent increase—and $1 billion in revenue for the first time—a 46 percent increase.

“CTA’s forecast also delineates U.S. drone sales for units below and above 250 grams, the FAA’s division for mandatory drone registration: Drones below 250 grams are expected to reach 2 million units, and drones above 250 grams will sell 1.3 million units.”

The FAA adopted rules for unmanned aerial vehicles last June. The rules went into effect Aug. 29.

SHENZHEN, CHINA—DJI has launched a mini-drone. The drone-maker describes the Spark as “an easy-to-use, fun-to-fly mini camera drone that lifts off from the palm of your hand.”

Spark is DJI’s first drone that can be controlled by hand gestures. When Spark takes off, it automatically enters “Gesture Mode.” This features new advanced gesture controls like PalmControl, which lets operators control Spark with hand movements. DJI recommends using Spark’s separately available “propeller guards” for hand launching.

Spark weighs 10.6 ounces– less than a can of soda—and can be operated by a remote controller, a mobile device, or hand gestures alone. Spark will be available in five different colors: “Alpine White,” “Sky Blue,” “Meadow Green,” “Lava Red” and “Sunrise Yellow.”
Spark comes with new flight options, e.g., QuickShot Intelligent Flight Mode activates a preset flight path for recording a short video and tracking a subject along the way, DJI said.
DC Drone Film Festival 2017 Now Accepting Submissions
WASHINGTON—The DC Drone Film Festival is returning to the National Drone Show and Government Video Expo for its second year and is now accepting entries. We are calling on drone videographers to share their work with the pilots, producers, equipment manufacturers, drone enthusiasts and other broadcast and AV professionals who will attend the 2017 National Drone Show and GV Expo, which will take place Nov. 29-30.
Submissions are accepted in any or all of the six categories: Narrative, Nature, Sports, Architecture, Corporate/Industrial/Business, and Shorts. Submission must not exceed five minutes—one minute for the Shorts category—and must consist of at least 50 percent drone footage. The entries are judged on originality, technical expertise and cinematography/visuals.
Each winner in the six categories will receive a $250 cash prize and have their video screened throughout the 2017 National Drone Show and across NewBay Media’s broadcast and video network of sites.
To submit your film, please visit DC Drone Film Festival, produced by the National Drone Show and NewBay Media.
Four QuickShots are available: Rocket, sending Spark straight up into the air with the camera pointed down; Dronie, flying up and away from your subject; Circle, rotating around the subject; and Helix, spiraling away from a subject as it flies upward. For each QuickShot, Spark will automatically create a 10-second video from the flight that is ready to share on social media.

Previously introduced Intelligent Flight Modes such as TapFly and ActiveTrack can also be found on Spark. Based on DJI’s vision technology, a new TapFly sub mode called “Coordinate” allows Spark to fly to a location the operator taps on a mobile device screen. TapFly’s Direction Mode allows the operator to keep the drone flying in the direction tapped on the screen. Using ActiveTrack, Spark will automatically recognize and track an object, keeping it at the center of the frame. Spark’s 3D Sensing System will actively sense obstacles in front of the aircraft.

With the remote controller accessory, operators can switch to Sport Mode and reach speeds of up to 31 mph. Sport Mode sets the gimbal to first-person view by default, so the camera moves with operator. Spark will also be compatible with DJI Goggles for an immersive first-person view perspective.

Spark houses a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor camera that captures 12-megapixel photos and shoots stabilized HD 1080p videos with the assistance of a 2-axis mechanical gimbal and “UltraSmooth” technology.

Spark includes many previous DJI drone shooting modes with two new additions: Pano and ShallowFocus. In Pano Mode, the camera creates horizontal or vertical panoramas by automatically adjusting its gimbal and heading, taking a series of pictures and stitching them together.

ShallowFocus creates photographs with a shallow depth-of-field shots. An array of filters and automatic editing templates available in the DJI GO 4 app enables operaters to quickly edit videos and share them directly to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.

Spark’s FlightAutonomy system consists of the main camera, a downward-facing vision system, a forward-facing 3D Sensing System, dual-band GPS and GLONASS, a high-precision inertial measurement unit and 24 powerful computing cores. DJI says these features allow Spark to hover accurately with vision system assistance at up to 98 feet and sense obstacles from up to 16 feet away.

Like all recent DJI drones, Spark can return to its home point automatically with a sufficient GPS signal. While using the remote controller, if the battery gets too low, connection is lost, or the operator presses the return-to-home button, Spark flies back to the preset home point while sensing obstacles in its path. Spark also integrates DJI’s GEO System or NFZ geofencing to provide up-to-date guidance on areas where flight may be limited by regulations or raise safety or security concerns – helping you fly safely and responsibly.

Spark is powered by a high-energy density LiPo battery and has a maximum flight time of up to 16 minutes. When flying with the remote controller accessory, Spark allows for 720p real-time video transmission from up to 1.2 miles away.

The U.S. retail price of a DJI Spark, including aircraft, battery, USB charger and three pairs of propellers, is $499. The Spark Fly More Combo includes an aircraft, two batteries, four pairs of propellers, a remote controller, propeller guards, a charging hub, a shoulder bag and all necessary cables, with a U.S. retail price of $699. Pricing and availability of other accessories for Spark will be announced at a later date. Spark will be available for pre-order at DJI’s online store plus, four the DJI Flagship Stores as well as authorized dealers. Pre-orders will start shipping in mid-June.

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Commercial UAS, aka drones, didn’t take off in 2016 like many thought they would, but Northern Sky Research (NSR) reports that it wasn’t all bad, and that some new avenues have emerged to push commercial UAS forward.

NSR cites over-optimistic growth projections as one reason that 2016 did not lived up to the hype many had for UAS and saw the market failure of drone startup 3DR, Trimble selling off its Gatewing drone business and Parrot laying off employees. NSR also indicates that there may have been an underestimation of threat from competition, including the development of small satellite imaging and analytics.

These setbacks, however, are forcing a re-evaluation of strategy and new business models, according to NSR. Examples of new thinking include franchising and focusing more on enterprise customers. Also, working with imaging services delivered by sUAS platforms will add value to industry verticals and generate future growth in revenues. NSR, in its third “UAS – Satcom & Imaging Markets” report, expects this revenue growth to be driven Energy & Natural Resources, Industrial and Service verticals use of UAS imaging services.

Currently, public agencies like the European Union and the Canadian Space Agency are turning to commercial UAS platforms in the expectation that they will work with satellite imaging and expand available services. As a result, NSR expects the UAS market consolidation to continue and expand its footprint.

“The commercial UAS industry may be down, but not out,” NSR wrote in its summary. “The gradual integration of image analytics into business intelligence processes, used by platform agnostic customers in non-traditional Earth Observation markets will thin the walls between satellite and UAS imaging, as both will co-exist and complement each other… However, caution must be exercised by the industry stakeholders to evaluate capabilities and limitations of UAS platforms, and get the business of economics right.”

The full report from NSR is available here. 

WATERTOWN, S.D.—Everybody loves a sequel, and the National Association of Tower Erectors has come out with its for the “NATE Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations Around Vertical Communications Infrastructure” resource document.

The newly released second edition of NATE’s resource comes from a collaboration between the NATE Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Committee and other commercial UAS industry representatives. The document focuses on the appropriate operations around wireless infrastructure, cellular towers, broadcast towers and utility structures. Updates from the new guidelines and provisions associated with the FAA’s Rule 107 for commercial use of UAS technology has also been added to the second edition. NATE is offering the second edition as a free download on its website.

In addition, NATE has also announced the appointment of three new members to its UAS Committee. Art Pregler from AT&T, Christopher Desmond of Verizon Wireless and Robert McCoy from Crown Castle are now official members of the committee. They will join the other members in monitoring the trends and regulatory environment for UAS and making appropriate recommendations to NATE on best practices.

WATERTOWN, S.D.—The National Association of Tower Erectors is providing some summer reading, announcing the release of a new resource document titled “Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations Around Vertical Communications Infrastructure.” The document was created from a collaboration between NATE’s UAS Committee and other representatives from the commercial UAS industry, according to NATE’s press release.

Focusing on small UAS operations around wireless infrastructure, cellular towers, broadcast towers and electrical distribution towers, the document provides UAS utilization guidelines dealing with FAA requirements, flight operations, training provisions, documentations, safety reporting, emergency procedures, weather requirements, noise abatement and hours of operation. According to NATE Executive Director Todd Schlekeway, this will be the first of several best practice documents from the NATE UAS Committee regarding UAS technologies.

The “Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations Around Vertical Communications Infrastructure” resource book is available for free download on NATE’s website.

WASHINGTON—One of the major concerns for the Federal Aviation Administration on the use of unmanned aircraft systems, aka drones, has been the use of such devices around major airports. The FAA says it has received a number of reports over the last two years from pilots and residents about the use of drones near airports. In response, the FAA and other government agencies are collaborating to evaluate drone detection technology at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. One such collaboration includes the FBI.

Per the FAA, as of May 2 the administration has been using a FBI UAS detection system to study its effectiveness in a commercial airport environment. Around 40 tests reportedly took place with five different rotorcraft and fixed wing UAS participants. These tests were an expansion on research that had previously taken place at the Atlantic City International Airport.

Other agencies took part in the research at JFK, including the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Queens District Attorney’s Office, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Further tests on the detection of UAS in airport environments are mandated by the FY 2016 Appropriations Law. The FAA says it is currently working on additional inter-agency strategies to evaluate detection systems.

WASHINGTON—Lawmakers are weighing in on drone rules as they consider the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. One is looking to keep drones away from airports. Another has introduced a bill to allow testing for commercial purposes and to create a deputy administrator of drones within the FAA.

The reauthorization bill itself—The Aviation Innovation Reform & Reauthorization Act—contains a section on unmanned aerial systems that reiterates its directive to the FAA to establish rules for the commercial testing and deployment of drones by Sept. 30, 2015. The FAA missed that deadline and continues to issue waivers for the commercial use of drones, including a blanket waiver for the operation of those weighing less than 55 pounds and operating below 200 feet. (See “FAA Eases Drone Rules, Opens Door for Newsgathering,” March 25, 2015.)

Lawmakers are pressuring the FAA to get on with it so that UAS research and development isn’t driven off shore. Earlier this month, Rep. Earl Blumenaeur (D-Ore.) introduced the “Commercial UA Modernization Act” to create an interim framework for drone development until the FAA finishes its rules.

“… Our laws and regulations are stifling innovation instead of encouraging it, forcing American companies to look overseas to test new technology,” Blumenauer said in a statement. “The ‘Commercial UAS Modernization Act’ provides a much-needed update to federal rules, making it clear that flying smartphones should not be regulated like Predator drones.”

The bill would create interim guidelines for the commercial drone use and testing, and it would create a deputy administrator responsible for integrating drones into National Air Space. The bill also directs the FAA to look into the type of drone delivery that Amazon has proposed.

Last Friday, Sen. Bill Nelsen (D-Fla.), said he would offer a measure in the current reauthorization bill to keep drones away from “sensitive areas, such as our nation’s airports.” Nelson is the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has oversight of the FAA.

“Right now, it seems no one in the federal government is willing to take the lead to bolster and install technologies that could protect airports from the threat posed by drones,” he said at a meeting with Florida airport directors in Orlando, one of the cities along with Miami that ranks highest for close calls between drones and manned aircraft.

The FAA draft reauthorization act currently wending its way through the House and Senate contains some language in addition to its original directive to establish drone rules. Namely, it directs that the FAA “expedites safe deployment of commercial UAS by creating a risk-based permitting process.”

This process is supposed to consider the “kinetic energy” of the drone, where and how it’s to be operated, any known hazards and their likelihood, known failure modes of the aircraft and its operational history.

The bill also encourages “greater utilization of UAS test ranges,” and the development of “sense-and-avoid” technologies. Other elements include the establishment of a streamlined process for permitting the operation of small drones for “certain uses,” and a pilot program to evaluate drone detection and mitigation technology. It further addresses the use of drones in firefighting, directs the Department of Transportation Inspector General to evaluate the FAA’s drone registration system—which went live last month—and conduct a study on the privacy implications of drone operations.

The FAA currently is funded on a six-month extension through the end of March.

Also see…
December 10, 2015
“Drone Flight Still Challenged by FAA”
The first thing to consider is that while anyone can purchase and operate a drone for hobby or recreational purposes, as soon as you start using the drone for production, newsgathering, or… tower inspections, it is no longer being operated in accordance with FAA rules for model aircraft operations. 

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration has announced its aircraft registration process for unmanned aerial systems weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms) including payloads.

“This action provides an alternative, streamlined and simple, Web-based aircraft registration process for the registration of small unmanned aircraft, including small unmanned aircraft operated as model aircraft, to facilitate compliance with the statutory requirement that all aircraft register prior to operation, ” the 211-page Interim Final Rule stated. The registration rule technically goes into effect Dec. 21, with the FAA accepting comments on it until 30 days out from publication in the Federal Register on Docket No. FAA-2015-7396.

The process incorporates many of the recommendations of the FAA’ s Drone Registration Task Force, delivered to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Nov. 21.

“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” Foxx said. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely.”

Registration will be a statutory requirement for all aircraft. Under this rule, any owner of a small UAS who previously operated an unmanned aircraft exclusively as a model aircraft prior to Dec. 21, 2015, must register no later than Feb. 19, 2016. Owners of any other UAS purchased for use as a model aircraft after Dec. 21, 2015 must register before the first flight outdoors. Owners may use either the paper-based process or the new streamlined, Web-based system. Those registering online must be at least 13 years old.

Registrants will need to provide their name, home address and e-mail address. Upon completion of the registration process, the web application will generate a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership that will include a unique identification number for the UAS owner, which must be marked on the aircraft.

Owners using the model aircraft for hobby or recreation will only have to register once and may use the same identification number for all of their model UAS. The registration is valid for three years.

The normal registration fee is $5, but in an effort to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly, the FAA is waiving this fee for the first 30 days from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan 20, 2016.

“We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” Huerta said. “Registration gives us the opportunity to educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly.”

The online registration system now supports only hobby and recreation drones, the FAA said. The agency said it is “developing enhancements” to incude drones used for commercial purposes by the spring of 2016.

WASHINGTON —NewBay Media has releasedthe full program for the 2015 National Drone Show, a new conference and expo featuring video capture technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Scheduled for Dec. 2–3, 2015, in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center ,and co-located with NewBay Media’s Government Video Expo, the National Drone Show will bring together video professionals from a variety of sectors for two days of discussions and demos of the latest UAV and UAV-based video capture systems, management and delivery technologies and techniques. Stampede is the event’s charter Gold Sponsor.

The Drone Show will feature a Drone Flying Cage and a series of free sessions on the exhibit floor covering the latest drone technologies and regulatory topics. Educational sessions include “Command & Control for Drones,” “Drones for Large Sporting Event and Entertainment Event Coverage,” “Drones for Law Enforcement/Security/Public Safety,” “Drone-vertising—Using Drones to Deliver Marketing/Advertising Messages,” and “Rise of the Drones: A DMV’s Producer’s Panel for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.”

An after-hours event ib Dec. 2, hosted by the Television, Internet and Video Association of DC (TIVA-DC), will also focus on UAV/UAS production.

Instructors from Unmanned Vehicle University, the only university licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering, will conduct drone-operating demonstrations in the show’s Flying Cage, allowing show attendees to experience firsthand the differing capabilities of various UAV manufacturers — such as DJI, AEE and XLY — and learn which is best suited for their enterprise’s needs and requirements.

The show is the only such event that will bring together video professionals from the Washington region’s government, military, law enforcement, enterprise, broadcast, cable, production, and post production communities. Invited exhibitors include drone manufacturers, drone accessory equipment companies, and drone software and service providers.

Registrants for the National Drone Show and Government Video Expo include tech leaders from DCTV, Discovery Communications, the U.S. Department of State, Department of Defense, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security, NASA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs & Border Patrol, the Department of Justice, Chesterfield Fire & EMS, The White House, the Transportation Security Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Army, Navy and Air Force; and local and state officials from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Baltimore, Alexandria, Fairfax, Bowie, and Prince Georges Country, among others.

Program details are available at www.gvexpo.com/the-drone-show/#.

Event registration is at nationaldroneshow.com.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration is warning drone owners away from companies offering registration services. The FAA said it would announce the registration protocol within the next couple of weeks.

“Owners should wait until additional details about the forthcoming drone registration system are announced later this month before paying anyone to do the work for them,” the agency said.

The task force assigned to provide FAA Administrator Michael Huerta with recommendations on the registration process is still days away from delivering this information, the FAA said. It also said that at least one company had launched a drone registration service.

Huerta was said to have told the task force two weeks ago to provide guidance on a streamlined unmanned aircraft registration process, including which types of drones would need to be registered and which would not. The FAA said the task force was working on recommendations for a system similar to registering any newly purchased product with its manufacturer, as well as a minimum weight for unmanned aircraft that must be registered.

WASHINGTON—Aerial photography has been a reality since Gaspar Felix Tournachon took the first aerial photograph from a hot air balloon in France in 1858. Since then, it has continued to evolve, and according to many, that next step in its evolution has already arrived in the form of unmanned aerial systems that offer users to shoot photos or video from on high. However, UAS—though growing in popularity—continue to exist in a gray area in terms of what the government allows users to cover and who can use them.

This was a topic of discussion during a National Press Photographers Association panel, “The Right to Photograph & Record: On the Ground and in the Air,” held at the National Press Club recently.

Panel from left to right: Mickey Osterreicher, Chuck Tobin, Mannie Garcia, Linda Davidson, Derek Meeks, Liz Lyons and John Verdi UAS, or “drones” as they are more commonly referred to—though panelist Mannie Garcia, a visual journalist, took exception to that name and referred to them as unmanned aerial vehicles—have been on the government radar since 2012, when Congress mandated the FAA to develop policies regarding their use.

Three years later, the FAA has yet to enact official standards for UAS, much to the frustration of potential recreational and professional users. Perhaps ironically, the panel discussion was held the day after the Dept. of Transportation recommended that certain types of drones be registered with the FAA and that such a registry be up and running in time for the 2015 Christmas shopping season, when the devices are expected to be a hot item.

WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY?
Currently, only hobbyists and those granted an exemption by the FAA are allowed to use UAS; and those with an exemption must have a certified pilot operating the UAS. But journalists are currently barred from using UAS for their work, even after they have been trained at UAS sites that are FAA-approved. Linda Davidson, staff photojournalist for The Washington Post has had multiple training sessions at an approved site with Virginia Tech, but she is still only allowed to use UAS over water and unpopulated areas.

The main concern for many when it comes to UAS is privacy; is it legal to take such photographs or video that offer a unique and new perspective in populated areas? Why should it be any different than a photojournalist taking a picture on the ground of a public event, Garcia said. Davidson also argued whether photojournalists—who must adhere to ethical practices with regular photography—be any different when using a UAS, especially when compared to hobbyists, which panelists illustrated with the fictional character of “Bobby Smith.”

“My little neighbor ‘Bobby Smith,’ with his camera can go anywhere he wants, doesn’t have any ethics or training, and throw it on YouTube,” Davidson said.

“It’s a huge disparity, and from a public safety standpoint it makes absolutely no sense,” added Chuck Tobin, a partner at Holland & Knight and chair of the firm’s national media practice team. “Linda is with a company with a proven record of safety and policies, has insurance behind it, and has invested the money in sending her through a journalism drone school program. She is going to be a lot safer operator than ‘Bobby Smith’ when she comes out of the program.”

POLICE BODYCAMS
UASs weren’t the only topic of conversation during the panel; police body cameras and how they affect privacy were also discussed. Liz Lyons, privacy officer for the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, says that around a quarter of the police departments in the U.S. are using body cams to some extent, but questions about what they can and can’t record—and whether or not those recordings should be available to the public—is still a point of debate.

“There was a really strong drive to balance privacy versus access and availability of the information,” said Derek Meeks, director of the body-worn cameras program for the MPD. “It is somewhat similar to the UAV discussion where it really is uncharted territory and figuring out how exactly this should work and how this is going to land is not crystal clear yet.”

Another point of debate is when the cameras begin recording and when they stop. Lyons says that at the moment officers are the ones who must turn the cameras on and off, but there are policy guidelines to ensure they are followed. There is also research into having these cameras turn on and shut off automatically in certain situations, i.e. drawing a weapon, but that technology is still in development.

In both cases, the panel concluded that this new technology is not going anywhere, or at the very least, is just the beginning of what is to come down the road. Therefore it is up to the government to catch-up and craft regulations so that UAS can be used responsibly and effectively.

“Every new technology has created a certain amount of ‘freak out’ factor in the American public,” said Tobin. “It happened with the Browning camera, it happened with portable computers, it happened with iPhones and now it is happening with UAVs. We will get over it, we will move forward.”

“The genie is out of the box, and why waste the energy trying to put it back,” explained Garcia. “So let’s go dancing with the genie.”

WASHINGTON—The emergence of drones is capturing many people’s attention, both inside and outside of the industry, and that certainly includes the National Association of Tower Erectors, as the group has announced the establishment of an Unmanned Aerial System Committee.

The committee will be responsible for monitoring trends and the regulatory environment of UAS technologies and then make recommendations on best practices for NATE members and the wireless infrastructure community on UAS integration. The committee also intends to work with federal agencies and interested stakeholders on guidelines to promote safe commercial and private use of UAS technology.

Todd Schlekeway, NATE executive director, will serve on the committee. He will be joined by a number of licensed pilots, including Greg Emerick from Sentera, John Paul Jones of Tower & Turbine Technologies, Jimmy Miller from MillerCo, as well as UAV and student pilot Phil Larsen of Hazon Solutions. Jim Goldwater, Bob Lawrence Associates, will also serve as part of the committee.

The UAS Committee is already at work, participating in the National Telecommunications Information Administration stakeholder meetings on UAS that were held in Washington. The committee plans to continue its dialogue with the NTIA, the FAA, and other policymaker and regulators to keep pushing the wireless infrastructure industry’s priorities.

“There is no question that UAS technologies, if integrated appropriately, can play a supplemental role in enhancing safety and quality in the industry as well as contribute to the vital economic, public safety and national security benefits associated with broadband network deployments in the United States,” said Schlekeway.

NATE is a trade association that seeks to provide a unified voice for tower erection, service and maintenance companies.

ARLINGTON, VA.—Many drone enthusiasts probably took some time this past Labor Day weekend flying their unmanned aircraft systems for recreation. Recreational use is the primary way for people to utilize UAS as the FAA makes people go through detailed processes to use them for anything else. Or so we thought.

CommLawBlog, which focuses on communication laws, recently posted a story detailing just how you can get FAA approval to use your UAS commercially. With the FAA still working on new rules for commercial UAS use, people can work their way to approval in three steps.

The first step is acquiring a Section 333 Exemption. The FAA’s 333 Exemption process is a temporary process until the agency issues permanent rules. It expedites the process by allowing would-be UAS operators to obtain both an Airworthiness Certificate and a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization in a single process. In a nutshell, the process requires that the user show that a UAS is airworthy and the proposed operation will satisfy the FAA’s temporary rules.

One thing that cannot be abbreviated, though, is the airman certification standards. All users operating commercial drones in the National Airspace System must have FAA airman certification. The FAA does, however, allow those with sport or recreation pilot certificates fly UAS commercially. In addition to a Section 333 Exemption and an airman certificate, users must register their UAS with the FAA.

Other requirements include that all UAS weigh less than 55 pounds and they do not fly within certain distances of airports, otherwise restricted airspace, or in certain densely populated areas.

This process is temporary, as the Section 333 Exemption will no longer be applicable as soon as the FAA passes its new rules. According to CommLawBlog, if you were to apply for a Section 333 Exemption now, you could be approved to operate a commercial UAS by early 2016.

You can read CommLawBlogs full post here.