Category Archives: Drone

Opener BlackFly personal aircraft

Posted on by

OPENER NAMED PRESENTING SPONSOR OF EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2020 INNOVATION SHOWCASE

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (December 16, 2019) — Opener, the company that designs and builds the all-electric BlackFly personal aircraft, has been named the presenting sponsor of the Innovation Showcase at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2020. The 68th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and annually draws 600,000 people and 10,000 aircraft.

The Innovation Showcase at EAA AirVenture is focused on research and development in the aviation and aerospace industries. It welcomes cutting-edge companies that seek to bring their new products to the public and the aviation marketplace.
“Opener has an unparalleled leadership position in new technology driving personal flight,” said Dave Chaimson, EAA’s vice president of business development and membership. “They have been a part of the Innovation Showcase at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for the past two years and have been a prime example of the innovative aviation technology we’ve been introducing at AirVenture. Having them as the presenting sponsor of this area will bring even more companies to Oshkosh who are interested in highlighting the newest and best in aviation.”

Opener spent the last 10 years in stealth mode, designing, developing, and testing new innovative technologies, which have now evolved into an all-electric, vertical takeoff-and-landing vehicle, BlackFly. Opener made its public debut in July 2018, shortly before displaying BlackFly at Oshkosh that year. A BlackFly v2 is now on display in the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh.
“EAA AirVenture has always been synonymous with what’s new and game-changing in aviation,” said Ben Diachun, Opener’s president. “Seeing how attendees at Oshkosh welcome and encourage new ideas in all areas of flight convinced us that we needed to help foster it even further by sponsoring EAA’s Innovation Showcase.”
Only 20 exhibitors are selected from all applicants to be included in the Innovation Showcase. Any aviation-related product or service that demonstrates unique, forward-looking technology is invited to apply for complimentary exhibit space in that area. In 2019, nearly 75 companies applied for this area at Oshkosh. Applications for 2020 are currently being accepted through April 1, 2020, through the EAA.org/Innovation website.

About EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and EAA’s yearly membership convention. Additional EAA AirVenture information, including advance ticket and camping purchase, is available online at www.eaa.org/airventure. EAA members receive lowest prices on admission rates. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or visit www.eaa.org. Immediate news is available at www.twitter.com/EAA.

Opener

EAA: GA safety must be considered in UAS airspace integration

Posted on by

GA safety

EAA MAINTAINS IMPORTANCE OF GENERAL AVIATION AND SAFETY IN COMMENTS TO FAA ON AMAZON PETITION

Retailer seeking regulation exemption to begin unmanned drone deliveries

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (September 3, 2019) — GA Safety for manned aircraft, not commercial expediency, must be the priority for federal air regulators as they consider an exemption application by Amazon regarding package deliveries by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), noted the Experimental Aircraft Association in formal comments to the Federal Aviation Administration.

EAA made the comments in response to Amazon’s petition to the FAA that requested relief from certain rules in order to conduct deliveries by UAS, commonly known as drones. The exemption would allow Amazon additional freedom to operate below 400 feet above ground level (AGL) without the line-of-sight observation requirements for UAS operations.

“There is an asymmetrical challenge to safety as UAS flights are integrated into the national airspace, as the priority must be preventing hazards to people in the event of a collision over threats to unmanned machinery,” said Sean Elliott, EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, “EAA is not opposed to integrating unmanned systems into the airspace, as long as they observe appropriate safety protocols and do not lead to additional regulations and mandated equipment for manned aircraft. In addition, manned aircraft must have the right-of-way in all circumstances.”

In addition to reaffirming EAA’s long-standing position on UAS integration, the organization’s comments give specific examples of various types of flying that takes place on a regular basis below 400 feet AGL, where Amazon intends to operate. Those operations include ultralight vehicles, private airports and helipads, emergency medical flight operations, backcountry flying, seaplanes, and flights over open water or sparsely populated areas. This affirms the need for extremely reliable sense-and-avoid technology aboard unmanned systems that can detect any and all manned aircraft.

“While we are pleased that Amazon stated in its petition that it must demonstrate an equivalent level of safety to ‘see-and-avoid’ principles of manned aircraft, we urge the FAA review and confirm Amazon’s risk assumptions are accurate and its redundancy procedures are as vigorous as those for manned aircraft,” Elliott said. “It is the responsibility of every entity using the airspace to maintain the equivalent safety standards as we explore the opportunities and benefits of this new technology. The stakes are too high for any alternative to be acceptable.”

About EAA

EAA embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 225,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAA.

FAA- New Changes to Recreational Drone Flying in the United States

Posted on by

Reprinted from the FAA website at – https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/

Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations

You are considered a recreational user if you fly your drone for fun. It is important to know when and where you can fly and how to register your drone.

New Changes to Recreational Drone Flying in the United States

There’s a new law (PDF) that describes how, when, and where you can fly drones for recreational purposes. Following these rules will keep you and your drone safe and will help keep the airspace available to everyone.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Register your drone, mark it on the outside with the registration number (PDF), and carry proof of registration with you.
  2. Fly only for recreational purposes.
  3. Follow the safety guidelines of a community based organization.
  4. Fly your drone at or below 400 feet when in uncontrolled or “Class G” airspace. This is airspace where the FAA is not controlling manned air traffic. To determine what type of airspace you are in, refer to the mobile application that operates your drone (if so equipped) and/or use other drone-related mobile applications. Knowing your location and what airspace you’re in will also help you avoid interfering with other aircraft.
  5. Do NOT fly in controlled airspace (around and above many airports) unless:You are flying at a recreational flyer fixed site that has an agreement with the FAA. The FAA has posted a list of approved sites (MS Excel) and has depicted them as blue dots on a map. Each fixed site is limited to the altitude shown on this map, which varies by location.

    NOTE: Flight in controlled airspace is temporarily limited to these fixed fields. The FAA is upgrading the online system, known as LAANC (the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), so that recreational operations can get automated airspace authorizations to fly in controlled airspace. This system is currently only available for certified Part 107 drone pilots.

    NOTE: If your organization is interested in establishing a letter of agreement for a fixed flying site, please contact us at ajt-9-uas-integration@faa.gov.

  6. Keep your drone within your line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located and in direct communication with you.
  7. Do NOT fly in airspace where flight is prohibited. Airspace restrictions can be found on our interactive map, and temporary flight restrictions can be found here. Drone operators are responsible for ensuring they comply with all airspace restrictions.
  8. Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports.
  9. Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people.
  10. Never fly near emergencies such as any type of accident response, law enforcement activities, firefighting, or hurricane recovery efforts.
  11. Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Recreational flyers should know that if they intentionally violate any of these safety requirements, and/or operate in a careless and reckless manner, they could be liable for criminal and/or civil penalties.

Read the Authorization for limited recreational operations as described in section 44809 (PDF). All limited recreational operations should be conducted in accordance with this authorization.

Changes Coming in the Future

The FAA is upgrading the online system, known as LAANC (the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability), so that recreational operations can get automated airspace authorizations to fly in controlled airspace.

The new law also requires:

  1. Drone operators to pass an online aeronautical knowledge and safety test and carry proof of test passage.
  2. The FAA to issue guidance for how it will recognize community based organizations.

The FAA plans to have all of these features and requirements fully implemented by the summer of 2019.

Recreational Drone