Latest in Drones: Domestic Use
The reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration currently pending in Congress would provide federal authorities with the capability to intercept and disable attacks from small drones.
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a ruling striking down the FAA’s regulation, though it failed to block an additional notice placing further restrictions on drone flights in the Washington, D.C. area.
This is interesting for folks interested in The Future of Violence—a new report on "Hostile Drones: The Hostile Use of Drones By Non-State Actors Against British Targets." Published by something called the Remote Control Project, its Executive Summary reads as follows:
In mid-December, the FAA issued an interim final rule establishing registration and marking requirements for small unmanned aircraft used recreationally – i.e., drones. Like other drone owners, owners of drones that weigh between .55 pounds and 55 pounds (Ben Wittes, this means you!) must register their drones before operating them in the national airspace. But for these small non-commercial drones, the rule creates a system by which drone owners can
The Department of Transportation and the FAATask Force has released its report on recommendation small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) registration. Here's what they propose.
According to NBC News (October 16, 2015), the U.S. Department of Transportation is about to announce a plan to require every purchaser of a drone to register it with the U.S.
So reports the Guardian:
Japanese authorities have launched an investigation after a small drone reportedly containing traces of radiation was found on the roof of the prime minister’s office, sparking concerns about drones and their possible use for terrorist attacks.
It seems Chesterbrook Elementary, of Fairfax County, Virginia, has lost its drone---and now wishes to enlist the help of the community in locating it.
Such is the gist of the below email, sent by a school official earlier today. (I have embedded the video and pictures, which are linked in the original.) Chesterbrook isn't that far away from Langley...
Missing Drone - we need your help! :)
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) has announced that she plans to introduce new legislation aimed to "significantly strengthen drone safety laws to protect U.S. airline passengers and U.S. airspace." The announcement comes in a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Heurta, in which she cites evidence of more than 190 drone safety incidents in the last nine months.
The more I reflect on last week's drone contretemps--and what effect the efforts of Senator Paul and his followers has had / may still have on U.S. policy--the more I have a profound and distressing sense of déjà vu. After all, it was barely 15 months ago that a hitherto-unheard-of coalition between what can safely be described as the left flank of the Democratic party and the right flank of the Republican party almost halted passage of the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act.