FAA

Drones give law enforcement a new edge, but raise concerns

Posted on by mecicon

thomasjones

Michaelle Bond, Inquirer Staff Writer

As the camera attached to its underbelly snapped pictures, the drone glided a few hundred feet above the quiet, tree-lined suburban streets of North Coventry Township.

It was tracing the path of a killer, investigators say.

Chester County prosecutors are hoping the images captured by the unmanned device, driven by four propellers and weighing less than a half-gallon of milk, will help prove that a man arrested last month carefully planned his fatal attack on a rival who was involved with his ex-girlfriend.

As an alternative to costly helicopter reconnaissance flights, the county says, the craft that it bought last fall for $1,800 is saving taxpayers thousands of dollars.

Drones such as this one are becoming ever more popular across the nation for investigative and other purposes, with industry officials projecting that 20,000 will be purchased annually by public-safety agencies by 2025.

They also have stoked privacy concerns.

So far, 26 states have enacted drone-related privacy laws, and all but a handful of states have at least considered such laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The New Jersey Assembly overwhelmingly passed a tough drone-related privacy-protection law in May that awaits Senate action.

On Friday, Pennsylvania state Sen. Mike Folmer (R., Lebanon) introduced a bill that would ban government agencies from flying drones without a warrant, except in emergencies, for two years to give lawmakers time to catch up.

“My concern is technology is growing faster than our ability to make sure people’s constitutional rights are being protected,” Folmer.

In Chester County three police departments, in Upper Uwchlan and New Garden Townships and Phoenixville Borough, either have or plan to buy drones for search-and-rescue, arson, and accident investigations.

Nationwide, 609 government agencies – including those involved in law enforcement, firefighting, border patrol, military training, disaster relief, and search and rescue – received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration last year to use unmanned aircraft systems, compared with 423 in 2013, and 146 in 2009.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police has recommended guidelines for law enforcement agencies using unmanned aircraft.

East Goshen Township passed an ordinance to restrict drone use in March.

The Philadelphia Police Department does not use nor plans to use drones in the near future, a spokesperson said. The New Jersey State Police and county prosecutors’ offices in the region were unaware of any police agencies using drones.

Police officials say the devices can keep officers out of dangerous situations and cover more ground quickly – say, in the case of a missing child or an armed suspect on the run, especially in rural areas.

Chester County officials said they will use drones for specific missions, not everyday surveillance, and have safeguards in place, such as requiring that supervisors sign off on any use of the aircraft.

In the case of the man accused of killing a rival, prosecutors plan to use drone images to build a court exhibit showing the defendant’s comings and goings before and after the crime.

Drones have been associated with military uses, and thus have stoked fears that government agencies will use them to spy on private lives.

County officials are reluctant even to use the word “drone,” preferring to call their aircraft a “quadcopter.”

” ‘Drone’ has a lot of connotations behind it,” said Terence Farrell, chair of the county commissioners. “This is used strictly to help people. Drones sometimes are not.”

The Upper Uwchlan Township Police Department has been using the drone it bought earlier this year to search for fugitives, to monitor traffic, and to take aerial photographs of motor-vehicle accidents.

“The problem with drones isn’t that there aren’t beneficial uses for them,” said Chad Marlow, advocacy and policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. “There are potentials for abuses if police use these stealthy machines to run around warrant requirements.”

Like wiretapping equipment or any other police gear, the technology can be misused, police acknowledge.

The New Garden and Phoenixville police have asked the FAA for permission to fly drones, and departments are drafting policies to govern their use.

John DeMarco, Upper Uwchlan police chief, said that, so far, residents have not expressed concerns.

The Phoenixville Borough Council is not convinced that its police department needs a drone or the threat of liability it could bring, said Chris Bauers, a councilman.

Last month the council told its solicitor to review the police department’s policies on drones before members decide whether to allow officers to proceed.

Officers expect a decision within the next couple of months and remain hopeful that their policies will satisfy residents.

“To get the community behind us and to get them to trust us,” Chief William Mossman said, “we’re going to have to limit ourselves.”
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150810_Drones_give_law_enforcement_a_new_edge__but_raise_concerns.html#rvwkjfvKgiKr8bQ6.99

Colorado’s ready-to-fly dronemakers stalled by MIA federal rules

Posted on by mecicon

Drones are being used in Colorado with FAA expemption

By Laura Keeney  The Denver Post

Fifteen of the first 500 FAA exemptions permitting commercial drones to fly were granted in Colorado.

But enabling those and other waiting businesses to spur an estimated $232 million in economic impact — and create more than 1,190 jobs — in Colorado by 2017 hinges on long-delayed rules based on a 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case filed by a poultry farmer.

Yes, that’s right. Regulation of high-tech drones in the U.S. starts with chickens.

Under current aviation law, aircraft must fly no lower than 1,000 feet above congested population areas, and at least 500 feet above less-populated areas.

But there are no permanent regulations for commercial unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. The vehicles are illegal to fly in the national air space without a Federal Aviation Administration permit called a Section 333 Exemption. The permit allows drones to fly commercially as long as they fly in daylight, no higher than 500 feet and within the operator’s line of sight.

The delay in deploying regulations that have been discussed for more than five years is frustrating companies in Colorado, and elsewhere, that use drones for such diverse tasks as delivering packages, and surveying real estate, oil and gas wells and farm fields .

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_28612999/mia-federal-rules-stall-colorados-ready-fly-dronemakers

Drone spotted by pilots mid-flight

Posted on by mecicon
Larry Celona

A drone buzzing over New Jersey was spotted by four pilots near Newark Airport around noon Sunday.

The planes were about 13 miles from the airport and more than 2,000 feet in the air when they encountered the drone, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

All the flights landed safely.

It was the latest in a series of such encounters involving planes flying into and out of the New York’s airports.

 

http://nypost.com/2015/08/09/drone-spotted-by-pilots-mid-flight/

Model airplane group seeks to restore image tarnished by drone pilots

Posted on by mecicon

AMAlogo

Jim Steinberg

An industry group representing hobby model airplane enthusiasts since 1936 has asked federal agencies to stop characterizing their members as the irresponsible drone pilots who interfere with aircraft fighting wildfires.

The Indiana-based Academy of Model Aeronautics said in December that it created a “Know Before You Fly” campaign to educate the “legions of new ‘drone’ fliers taking to the skies.

“Our concern is that our members are broad-brushed with a small number of irresponsible people that don’t know the rules,” Richard Hanson, AMA government and regulatory affairs representative, said in a recent telephone interview.

In the letter, the group blamed recent drone confrontations — several which occurred in the skies over San Bernardino County — to enthusiasts who have disregarded public safety.

“Errant consumers flying in an unsafe manner do not represent the organized hobbyist community,” said the letter to the top administrators of the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Hanson said drone pilots who interfered with wildfire-fighting efforts in Southern California have been referred to as hobbyists when it is not known who they really are.

“They could be someone hoping to sell their images to a news media outlet or someone seeking to get known on YouTube,” Hansen said.

Late last month, as drone legislation traveled through Congress and the state Legislature, San Bernardino County supervisors set aside $75,000 in potential reward money for tipsters who would help authorities arrest and convict drone operators who interfered with firefighting efforts at three recent wildfires.

At the Lake, Mill2 and North fires, firefighting aircraft were temporarily grounded because drones flew above the fires, presenting a hazard to pilots.

At one point in the North fire, five drones were spotted above the blaze. As a result, planes and helicopters that drop flame retardant or water were ordered away from the area for pilots’ safety.

“Our more than 176,000 members know where to fly and where not to fly,” the letter said. “They know how to check for temporary flight restrictions, such as those put in place around wildfires, and to stay well clear of any unmanned aircraft.”

The website knowbeforeyoufly.org has a newly created click-on icon explaining the importance of not flying near wildfires, Hanson said.

The AMA has negotiated agreements with two of three major drone manufacturers to put educational materials about regulations and safe flying practices inside boxes containing drones and related parts, Hanson said.

Negotiations are proceeding with the third, he said.

At a recent industry trade association meeting in Atlanta, the organization began enlisting the help of major retailers and web distributors to help get the message out, Hansen said.

“The FAA commends the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) for its commitment to safety and education,” said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. “It is critical that all hobbyists adhere to the AMA’s rigorous standards to ensure that model aircraft operations pose no hazards to manned aircraft or to people on the ground,” Gregor said. “We value our partnership with the AMA and will continue to work closely with them to promote safe model aircraft operations.”

Some members of the AMA are concerned that new laws proposed in several states could endanger the opportunity for its members to fly model aircraft.

Don Baligad, a Yucca Valley resident who purchased his first drone about six months ago, said he believes that some of the drones in the skies could be from news organizations or governmental agencies.

John Miller, a spokesman for the San Bernardino National Forest, said his agency does not use drones in California.

http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20150809/model-airplane-group-seeks-to-restore-image-tarnished-by-drone-pilots

GPS Attacks That Can Kill DJI Drones Or Bypass White House Ban

Posted on by mecicon

whitehousephantom

Thomas Fox-Brewster

When a government intelligence staffer managed to crash his DJI Phantom drone on White House property, the Chinese manufacturer took the decision to issue a no-fly zone over the DC area. DJI already used GPS to implement invisible demarcations stopping users flying their machines into no-fly zones like airports, forcing them to land when they hit certain coordinates.

Unfortunately, as noted in a FORBES report on smartphone issues yesterday, there’s a vulnerability in GPS affecting most commercial drones that would allow a nearby hacker to spoof signals, change coordinates and commandeer an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and take it wherever they wanted, whether that’s the White House or Dulles airport. That’s according to researchers from China’s Qihoo, who demonstrated their attacks using the free and open source GNU Radio, amongst other tools, to alter the GPS coordinates on a DJI Phantom 3. Thanks to free or cheap software defined radio tools, and the old, broken GPS standard, it’s now inexpensive and relatively straightforward to carry out attacks on GPS, Lin Huang and Qing Yang warned.

Any hackers wanting to land a DJI or other drone on Obama’s lawn, or into other no-fly zones, can send spoof signals that would make it seem the UAV was in a safe zone, said Qing Yang, a member of Qihoo’s Unicorn Team TISI +%, a specialist research arm at the company that famously hacked a Tesla last year for a $10,000 prize. Being close enough to the drone to hack it would be a problem for attackers, though the Qihoo researchers set a radius of 100 metres in their tests.

Alternatively, it’s possible to take drones out of the sky by making them believe they’re in a no-fly area. In the video below, filmed from a camera on the UAV itself, the benevolent hackers do just that, forcing it to crash land

http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2015/08/08/qihoo-hacks-drone-gps/

DRONES: What are the rules of flying?

Posted on by mecicon

modelclubflying

BY ALEX GROVES

Sweeping aerial views, descents into rugged canyons and swift yet steady movements across landscapes – these are just some of the sights captured by camera drones.

The unmanned aircraft have produced captivating video and provided hours of fun for operators. In the process, they have swelled into a niche market, becoming one of the hottest-selling tech items in the country.

But they also have created headaches.

They have been a serious issue for pilots, who have had close calls during firefighting aerial drops and airport landings. Social media posts about privacy invasions – real and perceived – plus news stories about vigilantes destroying bothersome drones have highlighted other problem areas for the aircraft.

Harry Horlock, a 93-year-old drone enthusiast, said he can understand the pull and fun of flying a drone. Yet people need to take a commonsense approach when operating them, he said.

“It’s up to each individual,” he said. “They’ve got to use their own head.”

A member of the Temecula Valley Flyers, Horlock flies drones because he said they are easier to use than fixed-wing model aircraft. He said he flies them in a field near Temecula Valley Wine Country and even keeps his flight limited to certain areas of the field that are away from parking lots and other traffic.

The rapid growth of drones has outstripped the rules and etiquette governing them. But hobbyist organizations and government agencies are catching up.

One thing appears certain: Drones are here to stay.

Scot Demmer, a partner in Corona-based drone company PMG Multi-Rotors, said his company has seen at least a 1,000 percent sales growth in the last year.

“In the past two years, it’s been a significant increase in awareness and purchases,” Demmer said.

With their proliferation, legislators in both Sacramento and Washington are trying to adopt laws and rules to govern activities. A number of bills have been introduced already.

Some would determine how closely drones can hover near homes and other structures. Some call for penalties for flying into active police and fire scenes. Others would allow first responders to knock drones out of the sky.

One includes a call for “geofencing” technology – software that would program drones to turn around when approaching restricted flying areas.

“I truly believe the recreational people are not trying to stop us from firefighting,” said Lucas Spelman, a fire captain for the Riverside County Fire Department. “I think they just don’t realize they’re inhibiting one of our best tools.”

Those tools include aerial tankers, which were grounded in the recent North and Lake fires when drones were spotted in the area.

Spelman said drone users need to use one rule of thumb when there’s a fire: Keep the drones grounded.

“If any of our aircraft come in contact with one of those, they could be damaged or actually brought down,” Spelman said.

He added that he hopes as time goes forward, the need to keep drones away from fire will become more clear and there will be fewer instances of grounded planes.

http://www.pe.com/articles/drones-776422-drone-one.html

The Best Response To Negative UAS Press

Posted on by mecicon
Reports in the news media about close calls between drones and airliners draw an interesting reaction from UAS enthusiasts on social media.
By Patrick C. Miller | August 06, 2015

Reports in the news media about close calls between drones and airliners draw an interesting reaction from UAS enthusiasts on social media. The reactions range from:

A)   The airline pilots aren’t actually seeing what they think they’re seeing

B)   The media is hyping and sensationalizing these accounts

C)   UAS operators are being unfairly targeted and persecuted

D)   Nobody can tell me where I can fly my UAV

There are probably some elements of truth to A and B.

It’s possible that not everything airline pilots are reporting as close encounters with drones are really drones. However, I tend to believe that given the level of training and professionalism among airline pilots—not to mention the sheer number of hours they spend in the air—a large majority of their reports are accurate.

I’ve seen videos posted on YouTube of drone operators who admit that they’re flying too close to an airport, flying far above 500 feet, allowing their UAV to fly beyond line of sight or flying in unsafe conditions. They’ll often rationalize their actions by saying that they know what they’re doing is safe.

But that’s like me saying I can safely drive my car the wrong way down the Interstate. It is safe until I encounter traffic traveling the opposite direction. When it becomes unsafe, it’s suddenly too late to correct my bad decision.

Complaining about the media hyping or sensationalizing the reports of near-misses between manned and unmanned aircraft does little good because it’s what the media does. You might as well complain about the color of the sky.

That’s not to say that the UAS world should ignore sensationalized or inaccurate reporting. Setting the record straight is always a good move. Most reporters don’t like making mistakes—much less repeating them. Many will welcome the opportunity to become better educated.

I salute those in the UAS community who take the proactive approach of educating and informing government officials and the public about the uses and great potential of the technology. People often fear or distrust new technology, especially when they don’t understand how it works or its practical limits.

There will be a day when UAS become a common sight and play such a major role in our everyday lives that we’ll become indifferent to their presence. Until then, the best approach is to keep reminding the public that the benefits and advantages of UAS far outweigh the harm caused by a few irresponsible users.

That brings me to points C and D. Let’s acknowledge the reality that not everyone flying a UAV is doing so in a safe and responsible manner. You don’t need to do much investigating to know that this is true. Just because someone is a member of the UAS community doesn’t mean that he or she is worth defendeding if they’re flying carelessly, recklessly or simply using poor judgement.

It is those who are ignoring or bending the rules and displaying a disdain for common sense that are doing the most to harm the future of UAS. They are the ones most likely to cause an incident that triggers an overreaction in the form of unnecessary laws and unneeded regulations.

Because some of the rules and regulations of the UAS road are uncertain or unclear at the moment doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do our best to police ourselves.

http://www.uasmagazine.com/blog/article/2015/08/the-best-response-to-negative-uas-press

Feds approve 1,000 applications for drone flights

Posted on by mecicon

By Keith Laing – 08/05/15 11:48 AM EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved 1,000 applications for nonmilitary drone flights.

The exemptions were granted this week under a section of federal law that allows the Transportation Department to wave requirements for FAA approval for drone flights that are operated outside of restricted airspace and below 200 feet.

The FAA said in a statement that the exemptions were part of a “continuing effort to safely expand and support commercial unmanned aircraft operations in U.S. airspace.”

“Companies and individuals from a broad spectrum of industries are taking advantage of the Section 333 exemption process,” the agency said.”Many of the grants the FAA has issued allow aerial filming for uses such as motion picture production, precision agriculture and real estate photography,” the FAA statement continued. “The agency also has issued grants for new and novel approaches to inspecting power distribution towers and wiring, railroad infrastructure and bridges.”

The FAA is in the process of developing regulations for allowing a rapid expansion of the use of commercial drones in the U.S.

The agency has faced tremendous pressure to approve such an expansion of nonmilitary drone use from companies such as Amazon, who have said the technology can be used to make speedier online deliveries.

Police and other law enforcement groups were also seeking approval to use the technology, and the FAA has investigated several drone incidents that occurred in conjunction with photography at college and professional sporting events.

The section of law that allows the FAA to grant drone exemptions gives the Transportation Department the authority to drop a requirement that operators of the technology apply for a certificate of airworthiness that is normally required for flights that are formally considered an aircraft.

The definition of drones as aircraft under the FAA’s proposed rules has riled recreational operators of the devices who consider themselves hobbyists instead of pilots.

The FAA’s rules define small drones as devices that weigh less than 55 pounds and require them to be operated at heights that are less than 500 feet and speeds that are less than 100 miles per hour.

The regulations also call for drone flights to be limited to daytime hours and conducted only by U.S. residents who are older than 17. Drone operators are also prohibited under the FAA proposal from conducting flights that take the devices out of their line of vision — a big blow to companies like Amazon that have touted the possibility of using the technology to conduct deliveries.

The rules make drone operators responsible for avoiding collisions with manned aircraft that are in the same airspace as the devices, and prohibit drone flights that “fly over people, except those directly involved with the flight.”

The FAA said this week that it has streamlined the exemption process for the drone rules “to make it easier for operators to access the nation’s airspace.

“In March, the agency began issuing ‘blanket’ Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) to Section 333 exemption holders,” the agency said.

“This COA allows flights anywhere in the country at or below 200 feet except in restricted airspace, close to airports, and other areas, such as major cities where the FAA prohibits UAS operations,” the FAA continued. “Previously, an operator had to apply for and receive a COA for a particular block of airspace, a process that can take as long as 60 days.”

http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/250311-feds-approve-1000-drone-exemptions

5 States Vying to Become the Drone Capital of the Country

Posted on by mecicon
IMAGE: AP

Federal drone regulations are still up in the air, but hundreds of lucky organizations can start flying the devices now because they nabbed exemptions from the Federal Aviation Administration.

So who’s getting all of these exemptions?

Startups and small businesses, mostly. They’ve scooped up 80 percent of the first 500 exemptions the FAA granted unmanned aircraft system–i.e. drone–operators since it began offering exemptions last year, according to a report by the non-profit Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Roughly one-third of these operators are involved in real estate, followed by aerial surveying, aerial photography, agriculture, and construction.

“The flood of commercial exemption requests to the FAA shows that a mature UAS commercial market is waiting to be unleashed,” reads the executive summary of the report, urging the FAA to finalize regulations.

Until then, the five states below, which top the list for the highest number of exemptions offered, are already vying to become the drone capital of the country:

California

California, home of Berkeley-based drone manufacturer 3D Robotics and a number of other companies competing with DJI of China, has 70 of the first 500 operator exemptions extended by the FAA.

You might think that with housing prices climbing as they are in Silicon Valley, real estate would be fueling the boom. That industry is up there, but film and television beats it out for drone exemptions. Film and television drone operators scored 23 of those exemptions, and real estate 15. Florida and New York trail behind with seven and five film and television exemptions, respectively, according to the report.

Texas

Texas businesses are finding applications ranging from safety inspections to energy industry mapping and monitoring, reports the Houston Chronicle. The state is home to 46 of the first 500 FAA-exempted operators.

Cloud9Drones co-founder Jacob Rachniowski told the Chronicle the drone industry is “busting loose.” Aerial photography leads the way in the state with 16 of the exemptions, followed by real estate with 15.

Florida

Florida has 40 of the first operators with FAA exemptions, half of them in the real estate industry, followed by 10 in aerial photography. In the face of FAA drone regulation limbo, the state has stepped in with a law prohibiting drone surveillance. The law went into effect in July and exempts business uses of drones for non-surveillance purposes, according to the Insurance Journal. Careful how you use your devices, photographers.

Illinois

Yet again, real estate and aerial photography can be seen leading the way in FAA exemptions for drone operators. In Illinois, where operators took 18 of the first exemptions, each industry claims seven of those approvals. Illinois State Police are among those approved for use of drones, or unmanned aircraft, as the state police prefer to say. 

“The ability to obtain accurate measurements and clear images from aerial photographs will significantly reduce the amount of time highways are closed during the initial investigation of major traffic crashes,” a state police statement gave as reasons for seeking to use what-shall-not-be-called-drones.

Arizona

Phoenix Business Journal noted that the Grand Canyon state does pretty well for its relatively small population. With 17 of the first FAA-approved operators, Arizona beats out the more-peopled states of New York, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Ohio, the Journal notes. Maybe it’s the beautiful desert landscape inspiring early adoption of the flying devices often used for aerial photography? More likely, it’s forward-looking real estate agents. Of the exempted operators covered in the report, seven use drones for real estate. Agriculture is the next biggest arena in the state, with six of the first exempted operators.

http://www.inc.com/tess-townsend/start-your-drone-business-in-these-states.html

St. Augustine resident’s drone photography business takes off

Posted on by mecicon
Tom Kane, pictured with his two DJI Phantom 3 professional-grade aerial drones in St. Augustine. Enlarge

Tom Kane, pictured with his two DJI Phantom 3 professional-grade aerial drones in St.… more

When Tom Kane thought about starting his own business, he used his knowledge and experience in aviation to launch an aerial drone photography service.

A licensed private pilot for the past 20 years, Kane moved to St. Augustine from Pittsburgh in January. He formed his own company, SKY 1 Imaging, in May and this week received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate drones for commercial purposes such as real estate photography and business marketing.

Kane has made an initial investment in two DJI Phantom 3 professional-grade aerial drones, which produce high-resolution still and video images.

“Flying drones is much different from taking pictures from an airplane or helicopter. Most importantly, drone photography has become affordable for almost everyone. Additionally, a drone is able to fly in places that an airplane or helicopter could never reach,” Kane said.

While flying drones might be more affordable and have easier access than traditional aircraft, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) pilots, or drone pilots, still must follow very specific laws. Kane also pointed out that it is not widely known that individuals or businesses who hire drone photographers are the ones who are held liable if something goes wrong with a flight and if the drone service is not FAA-approved.

Kane has already begun to line up jobs in St. Johns County and the Jacksonville area. Uses for drone photography run the gamut, from real estate firms that need aerial shots of properties to construction site managers checking on the progress of projects as well as restaurants, hotels and other businesses that want fly-over images for websites and other marketing purposes.

“It’s really a very blank canvas,” Kane said. “I’m talking to a lot of people who didn’t even know what they could do with it [drone photography] and are saying, ‘You know, let me think it over, I think I might want to do that.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2015/08/03/st-augustine-resident-s-drone-photography.html