As usual, the hapless FAA is behind the power curve again.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a proposed rule that would require Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, to be identifiable remotely. Pilots, law enforcement and first responders have been calling for such “transponders” commonly used in aircraft for a long time. See AutoInformed.com on:
“Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and Federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction,” claimed U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The FAA will seek input on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Identification (Remote ID) of UAS that is now in the Federal Register. A 60-day comment period to receive public feedback and help the FAA develop a final rule to enhance safety in the skies over the U.S. is the next step.
“As a pilot, my eye is always on safety first,” claimed FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Safety is a joint responsibility between government, pilots, the drone community, the general public and many others.”
Drones are a fast-growing segment of the entire transportation sector – nearly 1.5 million drones and 160,000 remote pilots are registered with the FAA. Equipping drones with remote identification technologies would finally help to safely integrate operations, including the small UAS rule, which covers drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which automates the application and approval process for most UAS operators to obtain airspace authorizations.
These efforts belatedly lay the foundation for more complex operations, such as those generic xenical beyond visual line of sight at low altitudes, as the FAA and the drone industry move toward a traffic management system for UAS flights separate from, but complementary to, the air traffic management system. Critics are quick to point out that this is similar to the process that failed at Boeing and killed hundreds of people – letting the regulated dictate the regulations. The 737 Max, belatedly grounded, is still grounded as the promised software fix is still a promise. Boing is now halting production as the crisis grows. (see The Associated Press on FAA’s close ties to Boeing questioned after 2 deadly crashes, and At Boeing, C.E.O.’s Stumbles Deepen a Crisis – The New York Times)
The proposed Remote ID rule would apply to all drones that are required to register with the FAA (recreational drones weighing under 0.55 pounds are not required to register), as well as to persons operating foreign civil UAS in the U.S.
AutoInformed on:
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
DOT Finally, Belatedly Admits Drone Remote ID Needed
As usual, the hapless FAA is behind the power curve again.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a proposed rule that would require Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, to be identifiable remotely. Pilots, law enforcement and first responders have been calling for such “transponders” commonly used in aircraft for a long time. See AutoInformed.com on:
“Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and Federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction,” claimed U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The FAA will seek input on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Identification (Remote ID) of UAS that is now in the Federal Register. A 60-day comment period to receive public feedback and help the FAA develop a final rule to enhance safety in the skies over the U.S. is the next step.
“As a pilot, my eye is always on safety first,” claimed FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Safety is a joint responsibility between government, pilots, the drone community, the general public and many others.”
Drones are a fast-growing segment of the entire transportation sector – nearly 1.5 million drones and 160,000 remote pilots are registered with the FAA. Equipping drones with remote identification technologies would finally help to safely integrate operations, including the small UAS rule, which covers drones weighing less than 55 pounds, and the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which automates the application and approval process for most UAS operators to obtain airspace authorizations.
These efforts belatedly lay the foundation for more complex operations, such as those generic xenical beyond visual line of sight at low altitudes, as the FAA and the drone industry move toward a traffic management system for UAS flights separate from, but complementary to, the air traffic management system. Critics are quick to point out that this is similar to the process that failed at Boeing and killed hundreds of people – letting the regulated dictate the regulations. The 737 Max, belatedly grounded, is still grounded as the promised software fix is still a promise. Boing is now halting production as the crisis grows. (see The Associated Press on FAA’s close ties to Boeing questioned after 2 deadly crashes, and At Boeing, C.E.O.’s Stumbles Deepen a Crisis – The New York Times)
The proposed Remote ID rule would apply to all drones that are required to register with the FAA (recreational drones weighing under 0.55 pounds are not required to register), as well as to persons operating foreign civil UAS in the U.S.
AutoInformed on:
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.