Industry News

30Oct

FAA requests emergency fast-track of electronic drone authorization

It seems the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally reached a breaking point with requests to access restricted airspace. Currently, it can take up to 90-days for an operator to get authorization to navigate controlled airspace. With more and more authorization requests pouring in, the logjam continues to get worse. As such, the speculation is that some operators decide not to wait and fly without authorization. This may explain the increase in the number of non-compliant operations, as reported by the FAA. It is estimated that there are over 250 drone-related safety reports each month.  

Access to restricted airspace

Under 14 CFR 107.41, “no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).” Since Part 107 launched, the FAA has received an extremely high volume of airspace authorization requests from UAS operations. From September 2016 to July 2017 the Agency received 20,566 authorization requests. Of these, the Agency processed 14,334. At any given time, there are up to 6,000 authorizations in the processing queue. Additionally, the number of requests continue to increase. The FAA expects the queue will exceed 25,000 pending authorizations within the next 6 months.  

Ongoing efforts by the FAA

The solution? Fast-track the electronic authorization of drone flights. The groundwork for this eventuality has been a work-in-progress for the FAA. The first step came when the FAA implemented Part 107 in August 2016. This year, the FAA – in collaboration with airport tower staff – developed and published a series of grids. These grids depict the maximum safe and permissible altitude for unmanned aircraft operations. The FAA published these maps online. The maps serve as the foundation for the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system. The goal is for LAANC to provide a quick and efficient response to airspace authorization requests.  

Real-time authorizations with LAANC?

When operational, the FAA believes LAANC will help the agency grant “near-real time" authorizations for the vast majority of operations. The FAA states that remote pilots certified under part 107, who submit requests that comport with the published limitations, can expect almost real-time, electronic approval. The system is also vital to the safety of National Airspace. The FAA expects LAANC to reduce “non-compliant” operations by at least 30 percent. Plus, once operational, it reduces distraction of controllers working in the Tower. The FAA’s recent request seeks to accelerate the implementation of LAANC, which was to take until the end of the year. “Due to the pressing safety consideration of reducing safety reports due to non-compliant UAS operations, the FAA cannot wait the normal 90 days of public comment,” the agency stated in the Federal Register notice Oct. 11. “Therefore, FAA is requesting Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of this collection of information 7 days after publication of this Notice in the Federal Register. Upon OMB approval of its Emergency clearance request, FAA will follow the normal clearance procedures for the information collection associated with LAANC.”  
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25Oct

Humanitarian drones and the future of aid delivery

Industry is not the only sector moving towards the rapid adoption of drones for operations. In fact, a growing number of non-profit organizations are beginning to test the feasibility of drones for their work. Recently, the Malawi Government and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) announced the launch of a unique testing corridor. The corridor's purpose is to test the effectiveness of delivering humanitarian aid via drone. A first of its kind in Africa, the Humanitarian UAV Testing Corridor launched in June. Today, it is fairly common to use drones for search and rescue efforts as well to capture live images of inaccessible disaster zones. But, many believe that's just the beginning. Given the vast area and various issues plaguing the continent, technology can play an important part in Africa's development and growth. The continents launch of humanitarian drones may very well turn out to be the vanguard in helping to tackle some of those problems. “This humanitarian drone testing corridor can significantly improve our efficiency and ability to deliver services to the world's most vulnerable children,” Christopher Fabian, UNICEF Office of Global Innovation Principal Adviser said in reference to the program in Malawi.  

Innovative drone-based healthcare deliveries

The UAV corridor’s launch follows a successful pilot project that took place in March of 2016. The study tested the drone transport of blood samples as a way to speed up HIV diagnosis in infants. The results determined UAVs were indeed a viable addition to existing transport systems used by health providers. Now, UNICEF and the Malawian Government are taking it a step further. The plan is to test the UAV corridor for a year with participation from over a dozen organizations. Universities, companies, and non-governmental organizations all applied to take part in the program. Currently, Malawi has one of the highest rates of HIV infections in the world. In 2014 alone, 10,000 children died from the virus. While large numbers of young people are tested each year, it represents only a fraction of the population. Physical constraints on the country’s health system is a primary reason testing is limited. The hope is that the drone corridor will reduce the cost and wait time of HIV tests.  

Humanitarian drones

The drones follow pre-programmed flight paths to carry dried blood samples between rural clinics and hospital labs. During the pilot program, one trip took under 20 minutes to complete. The drones conducted tests at various times of day as well as in different weather conditions. The operational advantages drones provide in these rural, underdeveloped areas are tremendous. Malawi, with a population exceeding 18 million people, only has eight facilities that conduct HIV testing for mothers and their children. Consequently, many patients live far away from testing centers. From testing to treatment, the entire process is often delayed, sometimes by as much as two months. Long wait times are a major issue. The sooner a child begins treatment with an antiretroviral medicine the greater the chance of survival. The government of Malawi hopes the humanitarian corridor helps decrease HIV related deaths. But that's just the beginning. Ultimately, one of the aims of the trial corridor is to research the viability of adopting the use of drones across the country’s health sector. Beyond the initial cost of purchasing sUAS, their low maintenance costs mean that drones may have an advantage over traditional transportation methods.  

Zipline takes to the skies in Rwanda

Malawi isn't the only country to benefit from drones delivering humanitarian aid. In fact, a company called Zipline regularly conducts humanitarian deliveries in Rwanda. Based outside of San Francisco, Zipline describes itself as "the world's only drone delivery system at a national scale to send urgent medicines like blood to patients, no matter where they live." In the Fall of 2016, Zipline partnered with the Rwandan health ministry to deploy 15 drones to serve 21 clinics from a single base. The company uses its fleet of sUAS to deliver critical supplies such as blood and plasma to rural hospitals. With its forested and, at times, impassable terrain, deliveries by road are painfully slow in Rwanda. Drones have the advantage of simply flying over the rugged and difficult terrain. Deliveries that  took up to eight hours by road, now happen in under a half-hour. Financed by the Rwandan Healthy Ministry, the project is a success.  

Distribution simplified

The process starts when a hospital sends an order to the Zipline distirubtion center. Local crews pack the product into a small container and load it onto the drone. The drone flies to the hospital and deploys the package, which is attached to a parachute, and returns to the distribution center. Within 5 minutes, after a staff member changes batteries and loads  the drone is once again airborne after a staff member changes batteries and loads a new package. The fleet of fixed-wing UAVs can fly missions up to 50 miles away from the distribution center. The fleets conducts nearly 500 missions a day. In January 2018, Zipline is expanding its operations into Tanzania. The scale of the Tanzanian operation is significantly larger. The plan, in partnership with the health ministry of Tanzania, is for 120 drones operating out of 4 bases. These centers will serve more than 10 million people at 1,000 clinics across the country.  

The future of humanitarian aid?

The advancement of drone technology advancing into humanitarian operations is heartening. And the pioneering projects taking place across Africa are but a fraction of what’s possible. As costs go down and expertise continues to grow, drones will simply be another tool to help deliver humanitarian aid.
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23Oct

AeroScope Technology from DJI to Identify and Track Airborne Drones

DJI continues to make moves to address the safety and security concerns of operators. There most recent response? The unveiling of AeroScope. This new product uses existing technology to identify and monitor airborne drones to address safety, security and privacy concerns. AeroScope uses the communications link between a drone and its remote controller to broadcast identification information. This information includes: a registration or serial number and basic telemetry, including location, altitude, speed, and direction.  

New level of accountability?

Police, security agencies, aviation authorities, and additional authorized parties can use an AeroScope receiver to monitor, analyze and act on that information. Currently, DJI is testing AeroScope at two international airports. In addition to the airports, DJI is testing and evaluating its overall performance in other operational environments. “As drones have become an everyday tool for professional and personal use, authorities want to be sure they can identify who is flying near sensitive locations or in ways that raise serious concerns,” said Brendan Schulman, DJI’s Vice President for Policy and Legal Affairs. “DJI AeroScope addresses that need for accountability with technology that is simple, reliable and affordable – and is available for deployment now.” In the beginning of October, DJI demonstrated the system in Brussels, Belgium. The demonstration showed how an AeroScope receiver can immediately sense a drone as it powers on. AeroScope then plot the drones location on a map and displays its registration number. That number functions as a drone license plate equivalent. In the event a drone raises concerns, authorities can use the registration number to determine the owner. In March 2017, in response to growing calls by governments worldwide for remote identification solutions, DJI released a white paper describing the benefits of such an approach to electronic identification for drones.  

Current functionality

AeroScope works with all current models of DJI drones. Analysts estimate DJI drones comprise over two-thirds of the global civilian drone market. Since AeroScope transmits on a DJI drone’s existing communications link, it does not require new on-board equipment or modifications. It also does not require extra steps or costs for drone operators. Other drone manufacturers can easily configure their existing and future drones to transmit identification information in the same way. AeroScope relies on drones directly broadcasting their information to local receivers; not on transmitting data to an internet-based service. As such, it ensures most drone flights are not automatically recorded in government databases. Thus, protecting the privacy interests of people and businesses that use drones. This approach also avoids substantial costs and complexities involved in creating such databases and connecting drones to network systems.  

DJI's regulation vs. privacy balance

DJI is an industry leader in developing safety and security advances. This AeroScope system is consistent with DJI’s problem-solving approach to drone regulation: balancing authorities’ need to identify drones that raise concerns and a drone pilots’ right to fly without pervasive surveillance. The rapid pace of innovation, DJI believes, provides the best means to address new policy concerns. The plan is to include drone identification settings in DJI’s initial drone software. Customers can then choose the content of their drone’s identification broadcast to match local expectations. To protect customers’ privacy, the AeroScope system will not automatically transmit any personally identifiable information until regulations or policies in the pilot's jurisdiction require it. “The rapid adoption of drones has created new concerns about safety, security and privacy, but those must be balanced against the incredible benefits that drones have already brought to society,” said Schulman. “Electronic drone identification, thoughtfully implemented, can help solve policy challenges, head off restrictive regulations, and provide accountability without being expensive or intrusive for drone pilots. DJI is proud to develop solutions that can help distribute drone benefits widely while also helping authorities keep the skies safe.”
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19Oct

U.S. Border Patrol Announces sUAS Pilot Program

The steady advance of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) into real-world environments, continues. In September, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced  a new pilot program. The program, executed by the U.S. Border Patrol, evaluates the use of sUAS within the CPB operational environment. Tests sites, already identified, include three USBP sectors. The program kicks off within the Tucson sector with plans to expand to Rio Grande Valley and Swanton later this year.  

Eyes in the sky

Border Patrol agents will use the remotely piloted sUAS for reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, tracking, and acquisition capabilities. Their primary operational environment is in areas that are difficult to access or otherwise considered too high-risk for manned aircraft or CBP personnel on the ground. “We anticipate the sUAS program to be a valuable tool for Border Patrol’s highly trained law enforcement personnel in securing our borders and helping identify and intercept illicit activity along U.S. borders,” said Carla Provost, Acting Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. “These aircraft will enable Border Patrol agents to surveil remote areas not easily accessible by other means, which is critical to our ability to secure the border," Provost said. "They will also be invaluable for humanitarian missions, aiding in locating individuals in need of medical assistance along inhospitable areas of the border.”  

Border Patrol sUAS program

The pilot program tests the operational effectiveness of three sUAS fixed-wing and rotorcraft: Puma, Raven and InstantEye Quadcopter. All of the sUAS share a few common features deemed vital for operations. Each is portable, easily fitting inside an SUV, highly maneuverable and deploy rapidly. The sUAS pilot features two rotations in each of the three identified sectors. The first rotations began in September 2017. The second starts in January 2018. The aim is to test both hot and cold weather capabilities of the sUAS. CPB will issue a final review late Spring 2018. The review is expected to also include future investment decisions and expansion of the program to other USBP Sectors.  

The End Game

The hope is that the rapid deployment of sUAS will help field agents do their job safely and effectively. The three sUAS models should deliver vital sensory and visual data to agents on the ground. Each model has a proven track record in military operations for surveillance and Force Protection missions. The sUAS program is fully compliant with all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, policies and laws. USBP will operationally test the sUAS under an approved Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the FAA and USBP. The MOA in place maximizes risk avoidance to commercial and general aviation traffic in the National Airspace System. All sUAS are to operate under a 400-foot ceiling. In addition, USBP has an approved MOA with CBP’s Air and Marine Operations further addressing operational risk avoidance in day-to-day operations.
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17Oct

FAA Issues Drone Flight Restrictions Over Certain Landmarks

Recently, U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies made a request of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The request? They asked the FAA to use its existing authority to address unauthorized drone operations over Department of Interior (DOI) sites. The FAA's authority comes from Title 14 of the existing Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions”.  

High profile DOI sites

The FAA agreed with the request. As such, in cooperation with the DOI, the FAA now restricts drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of these sites:
  • Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, NY
  • Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston, MA
  • Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
  • Folsom Dam; Folsom, CA
  • Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, AZ
  • Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, WA
  • Hoover Dam; Boulder City, NV
  • Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO
  • Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, SD
  • Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, CA
 

Restrictions now in place

These new flight restrictions took effect October 5, 2017. As always, there are only a few exceptions that permit drone flights within these restrictions. Operators seeking exceptions must coordinate with the individual facility and/or the FAA. The FAA's online interactive map helps ensure the public is aware of the various restricted flight locations. Additionally, the link to these restrictions is included in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app. The B4UFLY app should update within the next 60 days to include the new restrictions. Additional information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website. Operators in violation of these airspace restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges. This is the first time the agency placed airspace restrictions for unmanned aircraft, or “drones,” over DOI landmarks. The FAA placed similar airspace restrictions over military bases -- which remain in place. The FAA is considering additional requests from vaious federal agencies seeking restrictions using the FAA’s § 99.7 authority.
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12Oct

DJI’s Local Data Mode is Ready to Go

local data modeDJI recently released the new Local Data Mode to provide sensitive government and enterprise customers with enhanced data privacy. Local Data mode stops internet traffic to and from its DJI Pilot application. It is available in the DJI Pilot app update on CrystalSky and for select Android tablets.  

Safe and secure?

When Local Data Mode is activated, the app stops sending and receiving any data over the internet. This mode gives operators a level of control and provides added security for sensitive operations. “We created Local Data Mode to address the needs of our enterprise customers, including public and private organizations that are using DJI technology to perform sensitive operations around the world,” said Brendan Schulman, DJI’s Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs. “DJI is committed to protecting the privacy of its customers’ photos, videos and flight logs. Local Data Mode will provide added assurances for customers with heightened data security needs.”  

Operational drawbacks

Once activated, Local Data Mode adds a level of security as well as some operational drawback. Without connection, the DJI Pilot app cannot detect the location of the user, show the map and geofencing information. This includes No Fly Zone and temporary flight restriction warnings. In addition, operators aren’t notified of firmware updates. Even if Local Data Mode is deactivated, the aircraft continues to store all telemetry data on flight logs. Telemetry data includes: altitude, distance or speed. Also, the SD card stores all photos and videos captured by the user – no matter if Local Data Mode is activated or not. These images are shared only if the user chooses to upload them online to the SkyPixel community, social media or other websites. Features that rely on internet connectivity to enhance and support the safety of operations are unavailable in Local Data Mode. Whether activated or not, Drone operators are solely responsible for the safety of the flight operation.  

Launching Local Data Mode

Drone operators launch Local Data Mode inside the DJI Pilot app. Users select “Activate LDM Mode” and enter a password. To return to internet connectivity, the user goes through the same process to deactivate Local Data Mode. Additionally, new drones must be activated first by logging into the user’s DJI account with an email and a password. To ensure the drone has the latest firmware, users can download and update it while they have internet connectivity before re-activating Local Data Mode. “DJI has moved to address customer needs by developing Local Data Mode to provide enhanced data management options,” said Walter Stockwell, DJI’s Director of Technical Standards. “We are pleased to be able to develop Local Data Mode as part of our drive to advocate for our customers’ interests.” The Local Data Mode feature may not be available in locations where an internet connection is required or highly advisable due to local regulations.  
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