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United States Government

New Rules Allowing Small Drones To Fly Over People In US Take Effect (reuters.com) 36

Posted by BeauHD from the heads-up dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that final rules announced in December took effect on Wednesday allowing for small drones to fly over people and at night, a significant step toward their eventual use for widespread commercial deliveries. The effective date was delayed about a month during the change in administration. The FAA said its long-awaited rules for the drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, will address security concerns by requiring remote identification technology in most cases to enable their identification from the ground. Previously, small drone operations over people were limited to operations over people who were directly participating in the operation, located under a covered structure, or inside a stationary vehicle -- unless operators had obtained a waiver from the FAA.

Drone manufacturers have 18 months to begin producing drones with Remote ID, and operators will have an additional year to provide Remote ID. The new rules eliminate requirements that drones be connected to the internet to transmit location data but do require that they broadcast remote ID messages via radio frequency broadcast. One change, since the rules were first proposed in 2019, requires that small drones not have any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.
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New Rules Allowing Small Drones To Fly Over People In US Take Effect More

New Rules Allowing Small Drones To Fly Over People In US Take Effect

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  • Loophole (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bull Semen ( 8012864 ) on Friday April 23, 2021 @08:04AM (#61304464)

    One change, since the rules were first proposed in 2019, requires that small drones not have any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.

    I take it that fixed knives are still OK though? My son and I are working on a Battle Drone.

  • Requires Part 107 License (Score:5, Interesting)

    by EvilSS ( 557649 ) on Friday April 23, 2021 @08:27AM (#61304560)
    An important detail missing from the summary: The new rules apply to those with a updated part 107 license, so commercial drone pilots. Recreational drone pilots are still not allowed to fly over people.

    One change, since the rules were first proposed in 2019, requires that small drones not have any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.

    This only applies when operating over people, and the rules are a little more detailed than the summary makes out.

    • Well aside from the safety aspect, there's also the efficiency, and less costly damage effect. Kind of a win.

    • An important detail missing from the summary: The new rules apply to those with a updated part 107 license, so commercial drone pilots. Recreational drone pilots are still not allowed to fly over people.

      Thanks for the clarification. That's an important restriction.

      I haven't read the actual rules. How do they address privacy concerns? I don't want a commercial mapping drone taking pictures of me sunbathing nude in my backyard. Of course, given that I'm a 50-something #dadbod guy, I'm pretty sure the drone operator doesn't either.

  • Great; terrorism from the sky, and one doesn't even have to be present anymore. I see no issue here. But hey, the companies have got to make their 'monies', while polluting the quiet of even the smallest of towns.

    As one who lives on an Amazon warehouse truck route, I see a semi pass by, at most, every 10 minutes during the day (and once saw 13 vans in a row at a light); and that's just Amazon! These drones will be buzzing around your house 24 hours a day, unless you initiate some local laws(?).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by EvilSS ( 557649 )
      You might be able to get a rule for noise abatement but generally airspace is controlled by the FAA and, although they keep trying to pass laws on drones (and it's creating a legal mess), state and local governments don't have a lot of say in how it is used. If the operators can afford to litigate it, they will likely win in most cases.
      • The airspace is controlled by the FAA but as soon as the drone touches the ground the jurisdiction changes.

        IANAL, but I fully expect to see future /. articles announcing laws/ordinances to effectively limit drone delivery, and I also expect some of them to hold up under scrutiny.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by EvilSS ( 557649 )
          True, they can control takeoff and landing, although if the drone never lands but drop the package from a few inches...?

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by cusco ( 717999 )

            Parachute, like the Zipline drones. Zipline drops packages from around 10 meters by parachute, while the winged drone is moving around 30 kph. (Normal operating speed is around 100 kph.) They function in any weather and have over 100 kilometer range in the current version of drone. Really cool, if you've never seen this Ted Talk I highly recommend it.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

            How we're using drones to deliver blood and save lives | Keller Rinaudo

    • The way that I have heard that it will work is the drone will take off vertically from the distribution point to an altitude somewhere between 1000' and 10000' which would keep it out of commercial airspace and well out of earshot. Then the drone will move to the delivery site, descend, deliver and then go back up.

      You shouldn't ever hear drones in transit.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kackle ( 910159 )
        But if there are dozens of houses around me, as in the suburbs, how would I not hear them when they land and take off?
    • ISIS was using quadcopters and fixed-wing RC aircraft to deliver ordinance with varying effect a decade ago. Do you really think they were waiting for FAA clearance?

      • Do you really think they were waiting for FAA clearance?

        Do you really think ISIS was operating in FAA-jurisdictioned airspace?

  • do they have something like tcas?

  • Can we please make the law introduce upper noise/DB limits for both individual drones and aggregate noise in an area?

    I really don't want to live some where with the constant noise of Karen's coffee, then her Amazon package, then his groceries etc. being delivered, times 100 Karens. I'm really not kidding, wait until it happens, especially in areas that already have road noise. It's all cumulative.

  • If you live in an apartment and have a delivery, how is the drone supposed to know where you live? How does it deliver the package to you? Where does it deliver the package to you? In the parking lot and you have to hope one your neighbors doesn't scarf it up? If you have a porch, will the package be dropped there?

    What about businesses that don't have their own building, such as ones in a strip mall? While they have an address the drone can (somewhat) fly to, how does it deliver it? On the roof? To the

    • Answer: I think for those scenarios you choose a different method. If your address hasn't been approved and you haven't designated a place where the drone can drop your package you won't be allowed to choose delivery by drone.

  • The FAA only has authority of "navigable airspace" which is airspace above 500ft or 1000ft depending on weather or not you are in a city.
    The supreme court ruled that you actually own the airspace 300 feet above the tallest structure on you property so this is probably trespassing.
    Many states just flat out ban the flying of drones over private property with out the consent of the owner.
    This will come apart the first time some one decides to take down one of these drones with a shotgun for trespassing on his

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