Following a positive meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the entrepreneurs behind Hoverfly Technologies are moving forward to create a new industry association and a Flight School certification program for aerial robot operators across the nation.
Hoverfly met with Michael K. Wilson , Southern Region Program Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems at the FAA, on March 25.
A major function of the FAA includes regulating commuter and commercial aviation. While there is not a specific rule in place that prohibits the commercial use of aerial robots, it is currently not the policy of the FAA to authorize the use of such robots.
During the meeting, it became evident that an industry standard for operations safety needed to be established before Hoverfly could move forward in creating a new Flight School. In response, Hoverfly reached out to community and other industry leaders and formed a group to establish a new industry association — the Aerial Robotics Industry Association (ARIA).
Hoverfly Technologies will be starting its own ARIA-certified Flight School immediately. Instruction will focus on safe operation of aerial robotics and will be based on the ARIA "FlySafe" standard.
The inaugural meeting of ARIA will take place in May in concert with the first Flysafe Flight School class May 17-19, 2013.
Comments
"This sounds more like an advertisement for a business venture not a real "industry association". Besides, we already have a good industry association in AUVSI."
I majorly disagree. AUVSI seems solely focused on representing their "Diamond members..." huge companies such as Boeing, the manufacturer of the Predator Drone. Instead of promoting search and rescue and other applications, AUVSI is wasting all kinds of manhours and finances trying to downplay ACLU and legislature concerns regarding privacy issues.... and they are loosing.
AUVSI does not appear to represent small/medium sized companies looking to develop aerial photography companies or the thousand of other ways that drones would be useful outside of law enforcement/weapon systems. This is a HUGE mistake on their part. I for one am ready for a new association to arrive on the scene.
Gotta give them an E for effort.
I can't tell if they are trying to become a proactive advocacy group for future UAS use or to exploit it for their own gain.
The problem is, outside of hobby use, commercial use is still prohibited and the FAA seems pretty intent on deciding what commercial use is.
For now, the FAA has been content with establishing commercial use as being any direct commercial gain from the flying of UAS (selling photos, real estate promotion, etc).
But these people are going to be charging for classes in the operation of them, that also could be interpreted as commercial use.
Of course, so could all those photos and videos of people flying their RC planes that the manufacturers use to sell their product.
I suspect this will become much more tightly defined over the next few years.
This sounds more like an advertisement for a business venture not a real "industry association". Besides, we already have a good industry association in AUVSI.
and
They do have a specific rules, check the FAR
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/reg/media/frnotice_uas.pdf
Here is some more general information on UAS
http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14153
I look forward to the day that we are able to legally fly commercial UAS in the NAS and am excited about all the good that will come from the use of UAS in the commercial space. Soon...very soon....Now back to waiting. =)
The FAA are calling them in for another meeting they are not happy we believe about this press release. It is very unlikely that any rules for non RAPS aircraft will be in place before 2020.
@Gary,
This blog post only says that there was a "positive" meeting with the FAA. It does not sound like they are stating or implying that they have FAA permission. It seems more like an advertisement for a multicopter flight school which anyone can start. Whether or not the graduates can fly a multicopter in a populated area is, as we all know, another thing all together.:-)
Regards,
TCIII
The FAA have stated to sUAS News that they did not give them any permissions or suggest that anything they offer will have FAA approval.