Today we have a pop quiz for our readers. Where does the following quote come from? The “FAA may not be well positioned to manage effectively the introduction of UAS in the United States . . .” Is it from: A: An irate UAS operator waiting for his Certificate of Authorization from the FAA? … Continue Reading
Check this article out written by Donna Dulo and published in the June 2014, edition of Unmanned Systems, published by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. A good, concise overview of where we are… Continue Reading
For the last several weeks, many have waited for the release of the Inmarsat data. That event became the focus of the investigation…. an end unto itself. Well, that data has been released and, as we anticipated, it’s pretty well useless to anyone who deceived themselves into believing that the answers would leap from the … Continue Reading
With the FAA planning to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) later this year for small UASs, 55 pounds and below, if you manufacture, operate or use UASs, or want to do any of these things, now is the time to reach out to the FAA. They’re looking for assistance from the industry. The … Continue Reading
You and your staff are the world standard for aviation accident investigation. You have one of the best jobs in the world. You hold Presidential appointments. Pursuant to your enabling legislation, you investigate, analyze and recommend. You have no power to regulate or enforce. Moreover, you have the power to criticize when your recommendations are … Continue Reading
Some of the biggest names in news and broadcasting joined the fight over whether Raphael Pirker should be fined $10,000 for “carelessly and recklessly” operating his UAS at the University of Virginia in 2011. Media heavyweights, including the Associated Press, Cox, Gannett, Hearst, McClatchy, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post, banded together … Continue Reading
One of your flights has run off the runway…or maybe one of your aircraft had an aborted takeoff and your crew commanded an emergency evacuation. Even worse, an accident has occurred and there were fatalities. One thing all of these events share in common, whether classified as an accident or an incident 49 CFR § … Continue Reading
Former Federal Aviation Administration Officials weighed in today in the ongoing battle between the FAA and Raphael Pirker. As previously reported, the FAA has appealed a decision rendered by an Administrative Law Judge finding that Mr. Pirker’s UAS was a “model aircraft” and, as a result, its operation was not subject to control by the … Continue Reading
So You Want to Be in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Business: Everything You Don’t Know June 26, 2014 9:30 am – 4:30 pm EDT McKenna Long & Aldridge 1900 K Street, NW Washington, DC Space is Limited. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been mandated to integrate UAS’s into the U.S. civil airspace system. The present timetable … Continue Reading
“My response to the FAA was to piss off . . . .” These words were uttered recently by the President of an Orlando Company that uses UAS to film concerts and TV commercials. What makes the statement either brave or foolhardy, depending on your point of view, is the fact that they were said … Continue Reading
It’s official…or not. The travails of Donald Sterling and the NBA have pushed MH 370 off the radar (no pun intended) of the 24 hour news cycles. This conclusion is, by no means, as scientific as the poll of 1000 Americans, 79% of whom think there are no survivors and 69% of whom believe the … Continue Reading
The buck stops here . . . or does it? A recent legal opinion by the FAA’s Office of Chief Counsel sheds new light on this question. One of the most important goals of the Federal Aviation Regulations is to create a system of accountability. Virtually every task or operation touching on flight has a … Continue Reading
This week, the Chinese, Australians and Malaysians, have announced they’ll be meeting in Australia to figure out where to look next. In addition, they announced that the Inmarsat data which formed the basis for most of the fruitless search efforts during the last several weeks is going to be re-examined. In simple language, what it … Continue Reading
The aviation plaintiffs’ bar has never been shy about presenting novel, and sometimes questionable, theories of liability in pursuit of potential defendants after an accident. The Malaysian Government’s recent release of its preliminary report into the disappearance of Flight MH 370 contains a hint of one possible theory that may show up in subsequent litigation, … Continue Reading
Malaysia Airlines has announced they are closing their family assistance centers in the next few days and encouraging the families to go home. They indicated they would keep the families apprised of any developments and, further, provide additional compensation. As expected, this resulted in an outcry from the families who continue to have no confidence … Continue Reading
As readers of this blog are aware, the FAA was poised to become the first aviation regulatory body to successfully fine the operator of a UAS in the FAA v. Pirker matter. Those plans were derailed, however, by a ruling from the Administrative Law Judge that called into question the validity of the entire regime … Continue Reading
By now you know, the Malaysian Government has released the preliminary report regarding MH 370. The media response has been to pick it apart word by word, as if there is some hidden code within it. They have also attacked the report as being too short, pointing out that the Air France preliminary accident report … Continue Reading
Checklist: Part III Every aircraft operator, whether you’re an airline, a charter operator or a company using a bizjet to carry your employees, confronts the prospect of an incident or accident. One of the certainties of any such event is that your employees, in some way, are going to be involved. Whether they are the … Continue Reading
