FAA Unmanned
Aircraft Systems(UAS) Update

Presented to: JITI International Seminar on Drones forTransport
Presented by:Randy Willis
Manager, FAA, Emerging Technologies Team
Vice Chairman/United States Representative to ICAO
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel
Date: February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administration

Overview• Who is operating UAS• Proposed New SmallUAS Rule• Section 333 Exemptions• Focus Area Pathfinder
Program• Safety Pathfinder Partner• Model Operators• UAS Registration• FAA Education andOutreach
JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas2

Who is Operating UAS in the U.S.
National Airspace System (NAS)?
Public Operations

Civil Operations(including Section 333)

Hobby or RecreationalType•

Governmental••

Commercial/Compensation for Hire•

Hobbyist

Requirements•

Must verify Public
Aircraft Operator
eligibility and be issued
a Certificate of Waiveror Authorization (COA)•

Must be granted Exemption
AND Certificate of Waiver orAuthorization (COA), orSpecial Airworthiness
Certificate− Restricted Category− Experimental•

Must comply with Section
336 of FAA Modernization
and Reform Act of 2012

•Rules••

Detailed in COA
Self-certification of crew
and equipment•

Detailed in COA; restrictions
outlined in Exemption•

Generally must operate invisual line-of-sight, under400’, avoid manned
aircraft, operate during
daylight hours and fly
according to communitybased safety guidelines

Examples••Federal Agencies
State and Local Entities•

Industry− Manufacturers− Section 333 petitioners•

Members of Community
Based Organization
General Public

JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016•

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas3

Proposed Small UAS Rule• Currently in DRAFT– Notice of Proposed Rulemaking(NPRM) Published to Federal
Register on February 23, 2015
– Public comment period
concluded on April 24, 2015
• Produced approximately 4,500
public comments• Expected to be finalized inlate Spring 2016

JITI SeminarFebruary 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas4

Petitions for Section 333 Exemption• Bridge for commercial UAS operations
before finalization of small UAS rule
• More than 8,000 petitions received; morethan 3,300 exemptions granted to date
• FAA responded to demand by improving
process:– Streamlined Blanket COA (March 23)• Under 200’, within visual line of sight, during daylight hours,
certain distances away from airports and heliports– Streamlined evaluation process (March 30)

JITI SeminarFebruary 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas5

Focus Area Pathfinder Program• Purpose: Identify the safety mitigations thatcan lead to expanded access for UAS andinform future rulemaking• Approach: Work with industry partners to gain
operational approval for key UAS operations
and establish a repeatable process• Three Focus Area Partners:– CNN• UAS in visual line of sight, urban/over people– Precision Hawk
• UAS in extended visual line of sight, rural– BNSF Railways• UAS beyond visual line of sight, rural

JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas6

New Safety Pathfinder Partner• Growing concerns about potentially unsafe
small UAS operations• FAA entered into research partnership withCACI International• Partnership will evaluate how CACI’s
technology may help detect, identify, andtrack unmanned aircraft and their groundbased operators near airports

JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas

7

New World for Recreational Aircraft• New entrants into the model
aircraft community• Aircraft may be purchased ata hobby shop or online for afew hundred dollars• Many new modelers havelittle or no aviation
experience, may not know thelaw (Sec. 336) or FAA model
aircraft guidelines (AC 91-57A
Change 1):– Avoid manned aircraft– Remain within visual line of sight– Fly only for hobby/recreation
JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas8

UAS Registration Requirement• Registration requirement effective Dec. 21– Small UAS > 0.55 lbs. flown outside must be registered• Over 325,000 have registered to date
• Full details available at: www.faa.gov/uas/registration

JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas

9

UAS Education and Outreach

JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas

10

Questions?

www.faa.gov/uas
JITI Seminar
February 17, 2016

Federal Aviation
Administrationwww.faa.gov/uas

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