小黄书

Officials: New FAA UAS rules good for 小黄书 research

Officials: New FAA UAS rules good for 小黄书 research

Contact: Jim Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Officials at Mississippi鈥檚 leading research university believe that new federal rules for routine commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems will enhance R&D and create new opportunities for businesses and academia.

According to the director of Mississippi State鈥檚 Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, the new Federal Aviation Administration regulations announced June 21 represent a significant step forward.

鈥淩egulators, industry and researchers are all working toward the same goal: the safe and efficient integration of unmanned systems into the national air space,鈥 said Dallas Brooks, who also serves as associate director of the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).

鈥淭he FAA鈥檚 new operational rules for small UAS have been designed to minimize risks to other aircraft and people and property on the ground,鈥 he said.

Mississippi State leads ASSURE 鈥 the Federal Aviation Authority鈥檚 national center of excellence for UAS research 鈥 and Brooks was among the experts who helped craft the new FAA rules.

鈥淲hile the new rules greatly streamline access for limited drone use, significant additional research is needed to prove the safety of more widespread drone operations.聽Such operations would benefit our nation鈥檚 farmers, strengthen our nation鈥檚 emergency response capabilities, and create thousands of high-tech jobs to boost our nation鈥檚 economy,鈥 Brooks explained.

鈥溞』剖閟ity, which directs the FAA鈥檚 UAS Center of Excellence, is positioned to lead those key research activities that will help ensure that drones are safely integrated into our national airspace system,鈥 he said.

According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the domestic UAS market is projected to create more than 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic impact in the first decade after FAA integration is complete. During the same period, the UAS industry could create more than 1,200 jobs and approximately $973 million in economic impact in Mississippi alone.

鈥淲ith this new rule, we are taking a careful and deliberate approach that balances the need to deploy this new technology with the FAA鈥檚 mission to protect public safety,鈥 FAA Administrator Michael Huerta stated.

鈥淏ut this is just our first step. We鈥檙e already working on additional rules that will expand the range of operations,鈥 he said.

According to the FAA, the new rule offers safety regulations for unmanned aircraft drones weighing less than 55 pounds that are conducting non-hobbyist operations. It takes effect in late August.

Key provisions of the new regulations include:

鈥擜nyone flying a drone must be at least 16 years old and have a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating from the FAA or be directly supervised by someone with certification.

鈥擯ilots are required to keep unmanned aircraft within visual line of sight.

鈥擮perations are allowed during daylight and during twilight if the drone has anti-collision lights.

鈥擣lights over unprotected people on the ground who aren鈥檛 directly participating in the UAS operation are prohibited.

鈥淲e are part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief,鈥 U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a release.

鈥淲e look forward to working with the aviation community to support innovation, while maintaining our standards as the safest and most complex airspace in the world,鈥 he said.

Although the new rule does not specifically deal with privacy issues and the FAA does not regulate how UAS gather data on people or property, the FAA is acting to address privacy considerations in this area. The FAA strongly encourages all UAS pilots to check local and state laws before gathering information through remote sensing technology or photography.

The FAA鈥檚 advisory circular is available at .

Mississippi State recently updated its unmanned aircraft policy to ensure that UAS are acquired and operated efficiently, safely and ethically, and in compliance with applicable laws and other university policies and procedures.

According to 小黄书鈥檚 chief research officer, the updated policy clearly defines acceptable usage of UAS on university property.

鈥淭his policy is based on best practices and current law, and we are confident that it addresses many of the questions and concerns people have about unmanned aircraft,鈥 Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw said.

The university鈥檚 unmanned aircraft policy is posted online at , and Shaw encourages anyone with an interest in operating UAS on campus to review it carefully.

For additional information or for any questions about UAS operations at Mississippi State, contact Brooks at dallas.brooks@msstate.edu.

小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .