FAA SEEKS 'EMERGENCY' ACTION ON DRONES

[FLYBOYJ]

While it certainly may be plausible that Capitol Hill is responsible, that remains argumentative. You could come to a clear conclusion only if you had comprehensive first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the system. Personally, I think the system is far bigger than we realize. Again, I give the FAA the benefit of the doubt, although I remain as frustrated as the next guy. Put simply, the FAA just didn't see this coming. It's like writing a memo on safe beekeeping when you're inside a hive full of pissed-off bees.

I've been the Chief Inspector at 5 Part 145 Repair Stations, sit on an FAA safety advisory board and dealt with numerous FSDOs, ACOs and MIDOs over a 40 year period so I think I have a little knowledge on how they work, including their inner workings. The FAA has been fed a new technology field to regulate and enforce that they weren't manned or had the knowledge to support so we are where we are today. The same situation exist for commercial space launch companies and some of their operational challenges. I've been contacted by several PMIs and Ops inspectors during the past 6 months and asked questions about sUAV ops because they don't know how these things work.~!

At the FSDO that I deal with there are maybe 2 or 3 out of 40 inspectors who have even flown a sUAV.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

What part of the law do you need knowledge of the inner workings of the system to interpret? There is nothing argumentative about it. It's a certainty. A judge has already ruled against the FAA once in attempting to regulate hobby pilots. (Requiring hobby sUAVs to be registered) No, I would disagree. Congress didn't see this coming. But does this really surprise you? Yes, the FAA is slow to fix the Part 107 airspace authorizations, but by their own actions in filing for an emergency declaration, they fully realize it must get better....fast. Until the law is changed regarding hobby pilots, there is nothing the FAA can do to even the playing field between hobby and Part 107.

You nailed it Yogi!!!

 

[Peoples3a]

It seems they are moving forward for a solution. Also more insight might be at the conference next week. 50' AHO without a clearance sounds like a good compromise. Who specifically is working at the FAA on our behalf to offer practical solutions?

 

[Kentrol72]

Who specifically is working at the FAA on our behalf to offer practical solutions?

I think that is the important question, because it doesn't seem that there is. FAA giving companies like Skyward, through LAANC, permission to grant access to airspace means to me that the FAA only wants to work with a "few" entities that they can direct blanket rules/ regulations to and let those entities like Skyward deal with the masses. (As an ex Air Traffic Controller, I can say I absolutely wouldn't want to deal with the daily volume of requests from sUAS pilots without some sort of automated mechanism. In truth though, its no different than issuing crane or better yet, crop duster location and altitude advisories on the ATIS or NOTAM)

Although some would say this is great for moving forward with instant access, the real losers are going to be independent operators since these entities like Skyward will want to appeal (price) to the larger business in order to get max revenue

 

[cdusher]

I am very empathetic to the challenges the FAA faces in policing Part 107 drone activities. If Part 107 pilots spent a day on the FAA side of the coin, they'd probably have a different opinion of the waiver process and associated delays and frustrations.

That said, the one thing that never made sense to me is that 107 pilots **MUST** jump through the waiver hoop online (and wait up to 90 days, with their client waiting in the wings), while hobbyists (who have not been tested) can simply pick up the phone and call the tower for a verbal clearance (about 15 minutes total). Same day; same mission; same airspace >> the hobbyist gets "instant" clearance over the phone, while the Part 107 pilot (presumably more experienced, tested, and versed in airspace procedures) has to sit tight for up to 90 days. I just don't get it...

My thoughts exactly!!!!! WHY?

 

[YogiFlyer]

I think that is the important question, because it doesn't seem that there is. FAA giving companies like Skyward, through LAANC, permission to grant access to airspace means to me that the FAA only wants to work with a "few" entities that they can direct blanket rules/ regulations to and let those entities like Skyward deal with the masses. (As an ex Air Traffic Controller, I can say I absolutely wouldn't want to deal with the daily volume of requests from sUAS pilots without some sort of automated mechanism. In truth though, its no different than issuing crane or better yet, crop duster location and altitude advisories on the ATIS or NOTAM)

Although some would say this is great for moving forward with instant access, the real losers are going to be independent operators since these entities like Skyward will want to appeal (price) to the larger business in order to get max revenue

You do know that other free apps will be doing the same thing, right? This isn't some sort of conspiracy by the FAA to charge you money. LAANC will be available to any company that wants access to it. You gotta quit drinking the media Kool Aid of these press releases. As a supposed Ex ATC operator, you should already know pretty much all FAA services and information are provided free of charge to the general public. Some companies add "goodies" onto this information and charge for it. Skyward appears to be doing that. But the underlying FAA service of airspace authorizations is free. Just like raw VFR chart information, NOTAMS, and....wait for it....ATC services.

Just like every other advancement in aviation over the past 50 years, the FAA is just going to have to adjust. Controllers will have to adjust. The safety of the flying public depends on it. And honestly...unlike the doomed ATC modernization that started 30 years ago and still isn't finished, LAANC has been developed and deployed in flat record time. But I would guess due to the "lack of modernization" act on the FAA side, it probably comes to controllers on a dot matrix printer. All of this is caused by and can be squarely blamed..on Congress.

 

[Kentrol72]

You do know that other free apps will be doing the same thing, right? This isn't some sort of conspiracy by the FAA to charge you money. LAANC will be available to any company that wants access to it. You gotta quit drinking the media Kool Aid of these press releases. As a supposed Ex ATC operator, you should already know pretty much all FAA services and information are provided free of charge to the general public. Some companies add "goodies" onto this information and charge for it. Skyward appears to be doing that. But the underlying FAA service of airspace authorizations is free. Just like raw VFR chart information, NOTAMS, and....wait for it....ATC services.

Just like every other advancement in aviation over the past 50 years, the FAA is just going to have to adjust. Controllers will have to adjust. The safety of the flying public depends on it. And honestly...unlike the doomed ATC modernization that started 30 years ago and still isn't finished, LAANC has been developed and deployed in flat record time. But I would guess due to the "lack of modernization" act on the FAA side, it probably comes to controllers on a dot matrix printer. All of this is caused by and can be squarely blamed..on Congress.

I never said the FAA was going to charge. If you understood my statement, I was saying it appears that the FAA doesn't want to invest all what its needed (and capable) of in regards to individual airspace requests. That they appear to be eager to hand it off to third party entities like Skyward, and it is the third parties that will/ are charging for services that are free, to companies and contractors.

I said this in observation of the similarity of the 333 Exemption back log (to which they told many of the applicants we appreciate the patience but we will not be reviewing any Exemption request. Please wait for the Part 107 license testing system to begin, regardless of how long that request had been submitted) and the ridiculous airspace approval request time. In both cases, it appears the FAA doesn't have the manpower or care factor to go through the requests and give the applicants a timely decision. Either this is due to oversight of how enormous of a task this is, or maybe they are buying time for the automation software to be proven, but the time individuals like myself are left waiting is having a negative effect on the opportunities and legitimacy.

Again, that's just my opinion from my observation. I don't have a problem being wrong. But, I do have a problem with your disrespectful tone. I'm not sure who blew ground glass in your bum, but it wasn't me. How you responded was uncalled for and not appreciated. I'm good with disagreements and counter points, that's all part of why these forums exist. Unless anyone here is actually on the sUAS project in the FAA, we are all just guessing anyway. And your modernization comment is flawed. If you truly understand how vast the NAS system is, you'll also understand technology will always exceed its implementation. (and the ability to pay for it)