With the long-awaited small UAS rule going into effect today, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration and AUVSI held a media briefing at the department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., to announce the new era of aviation.




On hand representing each organization were U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne, the only industry leader invited to speak at the kickoff event.




“With the small UAS rule now in effect, the commercial UAS industry is cleared for takeoff,” Wynne said. “… Whether it’s aiding search and rescue missions, advancing scientific research, responding to natural disasters or helping farmers tend to their crops, UAS are capable of saving time, saving money and most importantly, saving lives.”




The small UAS rule, also known as Part 107, will put several regulations in place for UAS that weigh less than 55 pounds. Among the many regulations that will go into effect today are flights being required to stay within the visual line of sight of a pilot/operator, a maximum height of 400 feet, and a restriction on flights over people who are not a part of the UAS operation. However, many of these rules can be set aside via a new waiver process, which also becomes effective today.




The new rule will seek to smoothly and safely integrate small UAS into the national airspace system, and now that the rule has become official, the opportunities are limitless, the speakers said.




While the rule creates opportunities for individual and large entities alike, Huerta said it was not always so. He explained that the original draft was very rigid with little room for imagination, but thanks to ideas from outside parties and the agency’s willingness to listen, the current rule was created, allowing for more flexibility for operators and pilots through the rule and the waiver process. Huerta and the FAA hope to continue that theme of flexibility, as they are already working on the next set of potential guidelines and regulations for small UAS.




“The small unmanned aircraft rule that is taking effect today is not an end in itself, but rather, it’s an important step forward,” said Huerta.




To help with the process of creating new policies, the FAA is creating a drone advisory committee that will help the FAA with a number of drone integration initiatives, including the drafting of a rule about flying over people, which Huerta hopes to have done by the end of the calendar year, and a rule about flying beyond the visual line of sight. The FAA is also chartering an unmanned aircraft safety team, with several goals including analyzing safety data, and identifying emerging threats that drones might pose to other aircraft, people and property, in an effort to create procedures that avoid accidents and other dangerous situations.




The FAA is also addressing the issues of privacy, by providing support to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in an effort to stay transparent and learn what the best practices are when it comes to privacy. The FAA will also provide all UAS users with the NTIA’s recommended privacy guidelines during the unmanned aircraft registration process and through the agency’s B4UFLY app. Local and state governments will also receive guidance on drone privacy issues as well.




The new rule replaces the more burdensome Section 333 exemption process for many users, no longer requiring a pilot’s license and instead substituting a knowledge-based test. For more information on that process, and Part 107, refer to the information below.




I’m Ready to Fly. What Do I Do Now?




The FAA has released new material about the Part 107/small UAS rule on its revamped website, www.faa.gov/UAS.




Information on the Part 107 knowledge-based test can be found here:




http://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/fly_for_work_business/becoming_a_pilot/



Information on where to take the knowledge test is here:




http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/media/test_centers.pdf




Or call:




Knowledge Test Service Providers: CATS (Computer Assisted Testing Service): 800-947-4228




PSI: 800-211-2754




Or go here (for CATS): https://catsdoor04.com/cbt/online/UAG.jsp




Or here (for PSI): http://faa.psiexams.com/faa-uas.html




UAS help line: 844-FLY-MY-UA; live operators during business hours.




UAS email: UASHelp@faa.gov




An FAA video explaining what to do is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-d1RuTFvbs




For more safety information, go here: http://knowbeforeyoufly.org

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