UAVs

FAA flags potential new regulatory environment for small UAV access to US airspace

By Peter La Franchi

The US Federal Aviation Administration has flagged possible creation of a new category of regulations that would allow small unmanned air vehicles to operate under within visual line of sight rules, paving the way for easier airspace access for commercial users.

A review has been established to assess the feasibility of the new category says the regulator in a policy notice issued 13 February re-iterating its prohibition on the use of its AC 91-57 model aeroplane regulations as the basis of small UAV operations in US airspace.

The regulator has been under increased pressure from small UAV manufacturers and law enforcement agencies to allow flight operations in recent months.

The policy notice says that the proposed new category would cover “unmanned ‘vehicles’ that may be defined by the operator's visual line of sight and are also small and slow enough to adequately mitigate hazards to other aircraft and persons on the ground.”

Such a category “may be a new flight authorization instrument similar to AC 91-57, but focused on operations which do not qualify as sport and recreation, but also may not require a certificate of airworthiness.

“They will, however, require compliance with applicable FAA regulations and guidance developed for this category.”