1113

CAN I USE A DRONE ? THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION’S SECTION 333 EXEMPTION Unmanned aircraft systems are inherently different from manned aircraft. Introducing UAS into the nation's airspace is challenging for both the FAA and aviation community, because the U.S. has the busiest, most complex airspace in the world. The FAA is taking an incremental approach to safe UAS integration. The FAA currently offers two methods for gaining authorization to fly civil (non-governmental) UAS : 1. Section 333 Exemption* 2. Special Airworthiness Certificate

DRONES , from page 5

allowed to fly higher than 500 feet above ground, according to pro- posed regulations issued earlier this year by the FAA. Likewise, preliminary rules prohib- it any drones from flying over peo- ple who are not participating in the flight. So a construction company using drones to monitor job-site safety or to keep an eye on a vacant work area will have to take care not to allow the devices to swerve over sidewalks or streets where pedes- trians or drivers might pass by. In the proposed regulations, the FAA defined drones for commer- cial use as those weighing less than 55 pounds. That weight includes cameras or other information-col- lecting devices that are attached to the drone. All drones will have to be regis- tered with the FAA, and all “pilots” will be required to pass a test on aeronautics in order to get a certifi- cate allowing them to fly the devic- es. That certification will have to be renewed every two years. Boyd says that the commercial gen- eral liability insurance that most businesses carry does not typical- ly cover accidents, damage to the drone or to property belonging to others, or injuries caused by a drone crash or collision. Many in- surers have started offering sepa- rate coverage for unmanned air- crafts. Contractors should include every employee who will participate in drone flights. And, Boyd adds that some insurance policies exclude coverage if a crash results from an electronic malfunction or equip- ment failure. Look for a policy without those exclusions. Businesses should create specif- ic, written guidelines for how the company will use drones. Boyd says that companies should identify and train all employees who will use them; define the purpose of drone flights; and make a flight plan for every drone “mission” – document- ing where it will fly and whether it will glide over homes, streets and other populated spaces.

A grant of exemption in accordance with Section 333 and a civil Certificate of Waiver or Authorization; this process may be used to perform commercial operations in low-risk, controled environments. *This is the most appropriate method for AEC firms seeking to implement a drone for a project.

Applicants must be able to describe how their system is designed, constructed, and manufactured, including engineering processes, software development and control, configuration management, and quality assurance procedures used, along with how and where they intend to fly.

SECTION 333 EXEMPTIONS Petitions Granted: 746*

Petitions Closed: 85*

On March 23, 2015, the FAA granted an automatic “blanket” COA for flights at or below 200 feet to any UAS operator with a Section 333 exemption, provided that the aircraft weighs less than 55 lbs., operations are conducted during daytime Visual Flight Rules conditions and within visual line of sight of the pilots, and stay certain distances away from airports or heliports.

After receiving a grant of exemption, petitioners seeking to fly outside of these blanket parameters are eligible to apply for a separate COA specific to the airspace required for their operation. Applications must be submitted through the UAS Civil COA Portal via faa.gov.

*As of July 9, 2015.

DRONES INTHE NEWS Meet Gensler’s 3D Printing Drone ( Architect : June 2)

Gensler is teaching 3D printers how to fly. More specifically, a pair of designers at its Los Angeles office built a drone with an attached 3D printer that extrudes concrete. Since launching the project in 2013 as one of 30 like it funded annually over a three-year period by Gensler's in-house research program -- in which the firm invests 18 percent of its profits after taxes each year -- designers Tam Tran and Jared Shier have developed a prototype and showcased their work at South by Southwest's Robot Petting Zoo in Austin in March.

Their goal is to remove one of 3D printing's biggest limitations: the size of the print bed. By taking the technology airborne, the designers say, architects and engineers could one day create at an unprecedented scale as well as in areas where it would otherwise be difficult to haul construction materials or where a conventional, large-scale 3D printer isn’t practical. Art for the Discerning Drone ( Hyperallergic : March 27)

Is your drone all charged up with nowhere to fly? Impending FAA regulations got you down? Fear not, because this summer the Knockdown Center, the sprawling arts space in Maspeth, Queens, will host a drone obstacle course consisting entirely of specially commissioned sculptures. The center recently launched an open call seeking proposals for the exhibition- obstacle course, noting that “the most comprehensive viewer of the work will be the drones themselves” and encouraging artists to design their works with unmanned aircraft rather than gallery visitors in mind.

Researchers take to the skies to asses infrastructure damage ( Phys.org : March 5) Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, have become increasingly popular over the last half dozen years or so among amateur aeronautical aficionados, engineers and generally anyone fascinated with relatively inexpensive flying machines. Drones can be used for a number of applications including civilian and military purposes. Monitoring and surveillance are two of the biggest uses for drones. Now, researchers at the University of New Mexico, along with collaborators at San Diego State University and BAE Systems, are utilizing similar technology to develop an operational prototype that will use innovative remote sensing approaches and cameras mounted on low cost aircraft or unmanned drones to detect and map fine scale transportation infrastructure damage such as cracks, deformations and shifts immediately following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 27, 2015, ISSUE 1113

Made with FlippingBook Annual report