New Rules Allowing Small Drones To Fly Over People In US Take Effect (reuters.com) 36
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.
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.
Loophole (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re: (Score:1)
my topper for today was this : https://www.politico.com/news/... [politico.com]
but drone-rights is nice too - exciting times
so if you "accidentally" shoot them b/c you thought it was a ufo, clay pigeon or a mongrel throwing a molotov at your car ? ("mongrels" https://globalinitiative.net/w... [globalinitiative.net] , also refers to really young minors enlisted to do runs and errands and small stuff no one else could get into) its not all about black
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I was thinking more adding an electromagnet to the bottom- so that you can "capture" Amazon drones, change the package to an IED, and destroy your enemy's home.
Re: (Score:2)
So a mounted Gyrojet is still not prohibited? Cool.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Requires Part 107 License (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Well aside from the safety aspect, there's also the efficiency, and less costly damage effect. Kind of a win.
Re: (Score:2)
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.
Requires Towel. (Score:2)
You get a check in the mail to cover the cost of a towel. :-D
Re: (Score:3)
"The sky is killing! The sky is killing!" (Score:1)
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)
Re: (Score:2)
IANAL, but I fully expect to see future
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
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
Re: (Score:2)
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)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
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? (Score:2)
do they have something like tcas?
Re: (Score:3)
I think there's a lot of supply chain logistics to go along with this. Probbaly custom package requirements to reduce size and weight for any given product. Targeting ways to deliver 1 size A, 2 size b or 4 size C packages in one standardized drone container, that sort of thing.
It'll be interesting to see how it gets implemented. i can't see a world where there's an amazon distribution center within a mile of every house, making drone deliveries realistic. Are they planning to do fleet vehicles? A cust
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The "fleet" idea is already one of the deployment options for Scout, the "cooler with wheels" sized ground delivery vehicle. Vehicle stops, a herd of Scouts descend and make their deliveries while the carrier goes back for another load. In the evening (or whenever deliveries are finished) the carrier goes back, the Scouts climb back aboard, and they go back to be charged and loaded again.
Personally I can only see the delivery copters being viable in rural areas and apartment complexes where residents have
Re: (Score:2)
Actually a lot pf legitimate products, and locations could benefit from Drone delivery.
I live in a rural area, if say a delivery truck with a dozen drones, parked a few miles away from my house, and released the drones to deliver to the people in that area, would save him hours or driving from house to house, as they may have enough people in the area, but the roads to get there are often not so easy to get too.
There is a case I live next to a farm, where I can hear the Cows, it would be a 1/4 mile walk ove
Re: (Score:2)
There's always the Zipline model, they've been delivering medical supplies to rural clinics in three countries in Africa for several years (world's first successful commercial drone delivery service). They've already flown more than 8,700,000 miles making almost 128,000 deliveries. They were in testing with a hospital chain in South Carolina last year, and Walmart is considering using them. Fascinating company, the day they start operations in Peru I'm retiring and going to work for them.
https://flyziplin [flyzipline.com]
Noise/DB Limits Before $$$ Gets Too In The Way (Score:2)
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.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How does this work for apartments or businesses? (Score:2)
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
Re: (Score:2)
The FAA has overstepped there authority on this 1. (Score:2)
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