viernes, 15 de agosto de 2014

US small UAV market awaits legal update


The development of small UAV markets is awaiting changes in airspace law, as the FAA announced that by September 2015 it would issue a comprehensive roadmap to the integration of UAVs.

Regardless of it, last March 2014 in the case Huerta v. Pirker the court stated that the FAA Regulations are not enforceable against the small UAVs that would otherwise qualify as model aircraft, even when such UAVs engage in commercial operations.

The decision caught the FAA off-guard and effectively made clear that the FAA lacks authority to ground small UAVs which are used for commercial purposes, highlighting the disconnect between the commercial demand for using drones, and the FAA slow pace in developing regulations for commercial UAVs.

Regardless of the 2014 Pirker decision, the pressure is clearly mounting on the FAA - and other aviation authorities around the globe - to accelerate the process of integrating UAVs into their respective national airspace.