UAV laws and regulations; repository of citations?

[mblitch]

I'm not a member of the AMA, so do not have full access to their website, but I haven't seen a mention of any repositories that contain a collections of laws regarding UAV usage. The AMA site has a few NOTAMS [http://www.modelaircraft.org/membership/clubs/notams.aspx], but knowing other local laws would be useful.

Is anyone familiar with perhaps a list of laws by region which restrict, or even mention, such laws.

FDC 9/4985 NOTAM Restricts aircraft below 3,000 feet of the Disney World complex.

http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/uas_faq/
"Do I need to get approval from the FAA to fly a model aircraft for recreation?
No. FAA guidance does not address size of the model aircraft. FAA guidance says that model aircraft flights should be kept below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), should be flown a sufficient distance from populated areas and full scale aircraft, and are not for business purposes."

Advisory Circular 91-57
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/medi ... /91-57.pdf


FAA Docket No. FAA-2006-25714; concerning the FAA’s current policy concerning operations of
unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace System under 14 CFR Part 91
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/ua ... ce_uas.pdf

Santa Monica Parks
Santa Monica Ord. No. 2398CCS Section 4.55.110 Remote control models. (a) No person shall operate any model plane in any park, playground, beach, beach parking lot or public recreation area. (b) No person shall operate any model car, truck or vehicle in any beach parking lot. (c) For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) "Beach parking" includes all roadways providing access to or connecting beach parking lots. (2) "Model plane" means any device that flies, whether uncontrolled or controlled by radio, wire, or string, and is powered by internal combustion, electricity, gasoline, or any other type of fuel, and any device that flies by whatever means weighing more than eight ounces. (3) "Model vehicle" means any model vehicle controlled by radio or wire and powered by internal combustion, electricity, gasoline, battery, or other type of fuel or power. (d) This Section shall not apply to models in any area designated by the City for the use of such models if the person using the model is in compliance with posted rules governing the use of the designated area. (Amended by Ord. No. 2398CCS § 2, adopted 4/24/12)

Grand Canyon Park policy restricting all UAV activity within the park;
http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/upload ... endium.pdf
"Unmanned Aircraft
Operating an Unmanned Aircraft, including radio controlled aircraft, model aircraft, and aircraft operated by a first person video is prohibited in Grand Canyon National Park. the toy class remote control aircraft can be used within the curtilage of residential structures. "


http://www.faa.gov/news/media/sfra_flight_advisory.pdf
FDC 0/8326

http://02b954f.netsolhost.com/images/FRZ_NOTAM4.pdf
No model aircraft within the 30NM mile FRZ in Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Flight Restricted Zone
A NOTAM has been issued in regards to the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). In the interest of National Security the FAA has codified special flight rules and flight restrictions for certain aircraft operations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. The new rules and the NOTAM went into effect on February 17, 2009 and were updated December 1, 2010. The rules and restrictions remain in effect until further notice. Outdoor model aircraft operations are prohibited within the inner portion of the SFRA known as the Washington Metropolitan Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ). TFRs are subject to change with very short notice

Sporting event NOTAM FDC 9/5151
http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_5151.html
Limits the airspace restrictions (3NM to 3,000 feet) to Major League Baseball, NFL, NCAA Division IA stadiums, and major speedways (NASCAR) seating more than 30,000 people and limits the effective time of the restrictions from one hour before the scheduled start time of the event to one hour after scheduled time.

That is all I have seen mentioned through several discussions or forums I have read.

It would be nice it there was a regional interface for traveling UAV operators can be aware of the laws so to avoid trouble. If there isn't already a repository for the information, then maybe a wiki can be made?

 

[Spork]

I like the idea. A good start would be to collect all of the locations in a database with consistent meta data (title, descriotion, location (lat/long coords) and keywords, etc.). Although some of those are kind of a blanket restriction, like the sporting events one.

Could be as simple as a google docs spreadsheet to get started, and we can plot them on a map or something else pretty easily from there.

 

[mblitch]

Add, South Carolina Law:

SC LAW 55-1-50
It shall be unlawful for any person to land or cause to be landed any aircraft on or take off from a public highway in this State except in situations authorized by the deputy director of the division or in an emergency situation in which the safety of the aircraft is involved. In any prosecution for violation hereof, the burden of proving that such emergency situation existed shall be upon the person landing the aircraft on the highway or causing it to take off therefrom.
Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than sixty days.
SECTION 55-1-5. Definitions.

For the purposes of Chapters 1 through 9, Title 55, the following words and terms are defined as follows:
(2) "Aircraft" means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air.

So even if empty, one cannot take off nor land on a highway.

Of course these laws were developed prior to UAV usage, but they are still on the books.

 

[TickTock]

That's a good one to know. Anyone stuck in a traffic jam for an hour is going to be temped to pull their Phantom out to take a look ahead. I wonder if taking off from the hood of your car constitutes taking off from the highway...