Source: AOPA
One of the world’s largest aviation stakeholders is flying high in the tailwind of recent changes in FAA regulations to drone rules.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) commends the agency’s recent release of Part 89 and the revision of Part 107 on January 15. In a recent press release, AOPA editor Jim Moore noted the changes in both Remote ID and night flight suggestions were “welcome changes” to make drone use safer and more accessible.
“AOPA was among more than 50,000 organizations and individuals who commented on the proposed rules in 2020 and many who urged the FAA to cut the cost of compliance,” wrote Moore.
As mentioned in a December DroneLife report:
“The FAA has published the final rule for Remote ID for Drones, along with a rule for operations on people and moving vehicles, and night operations. The long-awaited releases will clarify the details of Remote ID and allow stakeholders from the commercial and recreational drone community to prepare for implementation – while expanding the scope of commercial operations with clear rules governing operation over people. “
“AOPA strongly supports the remote identification of unmanned aircraft and, in particular, the FAA’s approach to achieving its safety objectives without the need for incumbent airmen (manned aircraft) to participate,” said Moore. “AOPA welcomed the specific ban preventing the vast majority of drones from using ADS-B for remote identification, a feature of the proposed remote identification rule that will be retained in the final version.”
AOPA specifically praised the removal of a requirement in Part 89 that requires drone pilots to be connected to the Internet in order to meet the requirements for remote identification. According to the new rules, the agency only requires local radio transmission of the ID data.
“This postponement, opposed by some stakeholders but supported by AOPA and many others, will allow remote ID compliance in many parts of the country where cellular service is not available. As suggested, the rule could have made large parts of the country, mainly in rural areas, inaccessible to professional and recreational remote pilots. “
Christopher Cooper, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at AOPA added:
“Many of AOPA’s concerns have been adequately addressed, providing flexibility and lower costs for the recreational and Part 107 communities while ensuring that the FAA and law enforcement agencies can identify non-compliant operators. AOPA strongly supports the explicit prohibition of ADS-B Out for most UAS operations as it can lead to a possible reduction in ADS-B performance for air traffic management and manned aircraft users. “
What is ADS-B? The FAA states:
“ADS-B is an environmentally friendly technology that increases safety and efficiency and directly benefits pilots, air traffic controllers, airports, airlines and the public. It forms the basis for NextGen by moving from ground penetrating radar and navigation aids to precise tracking using satellite signals.
With ADS-B, pilots can see what controllers see: displays that show other aircraft in the sky. Cockpit displays also indicate dangerous weather and terrain and give pilots important flight information such as: B. Temporary flight restrictions. “
Jason is a longtime DroneLife employee with an avid interest in all things technical. He focuses on anti-drone technologies and the public safety sector. Police, fire and search and rescue.
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