Tag: FAA

FAA announces test sites for unmanned aircraft research

After months of anticipation, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration today revealed the locations of six unmanned aircraft systems research and test sites. Congress directed the FAA to establish the sites as part of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 in preparation for integration of UAS into the national airspace system by 2015. Back

FAA releases roadmap for UAS, finalizes test site privacy policy

The Federal Aviation Administration today released its first annual “roadmap” outlining efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace. The document is available for download here: Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Roadmap The FAA says its main goal for integration is to establish requirements that

Drone journalism programs temporarily grounded by FAA

The fledgling “drone journalism” programs at the University of Missouri and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently received letters from the Federal Aviation Administration advising them that they lack proper authorization and could be subject to legal action. As a result, they will cease flying unmanned aerial vehicles outdoors for newsgathering and research purposes. The universities

FAA grants milestone approval for small AeroVironment UAS

AeroVironment Inc. reported today that it has received a first-of-its-kind approval from the Federal Aviation Administration that permits operators to fly commercial missions using one of its small unmanned aircraft systems. This marks the first time the FAA has approved a hand-launched unmanned aircraft system for commercial missions. The company received the “Restricted Category” rating