Droneregler ute på høring i USA

Det er ikke uvanlig i det hele tatt at USA går sine egne veier.  I noen tilfeller hvor FAA og EASA har felles interesser innen  et luftfartsområde, forsøker en harmonisering som det kalles.  Når det gjelder droner som opereres over eget landområde  kan en ha spesielle regler gjeldende for landområdet. Dokumentet er på 195 sider. Drone Rule Released, Comments Begin Commercial operators of small unmanned aerial systems  (sUAS) weighing less than 55 pounds will have to pass an  FAA knowledge test every two years and their aircraft will  have to be registered under regulations proposed in a  Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released by the FAA and  the DOT Sunday (PDF).  In a telephone news briefing,  FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told reporters the long- awaited proposed rule attempts to strike a balance  between public safety and the public benefit that drone use  is expected to offer. "It has to be flexible and adaptable and  it has to work for users and proponents as well as for those  who are interested in the highest levels of safety," Huerta  said. Under the new rules, small drones could be flown  anywhere in Class G airspace in day VFR (three-mile  visibility) but must remain within line of sight of the  operator, not fly above 500 feet AGL and not fly faster  than 100 mph.  The drones would not be allowed to fly over any people  not directly involved with the operation of the drone. Flight  would be prohibited in Class A airspace (above 18,000 feet)  and only permitted with prior ATC approval in B, C, D and E.  There is also a proposal for a "micro" class that could be operated over other people and the operators would not  have to be FAA certified. Huerta said the operator certification process needs to  satisfy the agency that those flying drones have "a base  level of understanding" of the rules of the air but it also  needs  to be easily accessible. The initial testing and biennial  recurrency exams will be done at "FAA-approved  knowledge testing centers" and although he didn't say  exactly what those might look like it would seem logical  that already-established flight schools could fill that bill. Operators will also have to be "vetted by the Transportation Security Administration" and the certificate won't be issued  "until the TSA determines that the applicant will not pose a security threat." Drone operators will not have to undergo  an FAA medical but must self-certify before every flight. There will be no airworthiness requirements for the aircraft  but they will be registered with N-numbers just like other  aircraft. The registration has to be displayed on the aircraft  either in accordance with FAA standards or in lettering as  large as is practical for the size of the vehicle. Before every  flight, the operator will have to do a pre-flight inspection to  ensure airworthiness. Accidents will have to be reported. Huerta would not be pinned down on when a final rule might  be issued. There is a 60-day comment period and the rule is  195 pages long. What's more, it also invites comments on operations like beyond visual line of sight and for larger  aircraft that are beyond the scope of this rule. He said the  FAA expects a lot of comments on the rule and that each  one has to be considered and addressed before the rule  can become final. He said only that the agency was  committed to processing the comments as fast as possible  and would not speculate on how long it might take. Reaction has been generally positive to the proposal. Brian Wynne, the CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), called the rule "a good first  step" but said it will take time to digest all its contents. "This proposed rule is a critical milestone in the UAS integration process, and one that is long overdue," he said. "UAS  technology has largely remained grounded while many prospective users wait for the regulatory framework to  catch up." AOPA, meanwhile, said most of its concerns  have been addressed by the document but is also  concerned about how long it might take. "Clear guidance for  UAS operations is needed to protect pilots and passengers," AOPA President  Mark Baker said. "We're pleased that the FAA is moving the rulemaking process forward, but this really can't happen fast enough."