Aviation

The Crazy Quilt of Drone Laws and the Impending Constitutional Showdown

With each passing day, it seems that we are confronted with yet another story of a drone (or “Unmanned Aircraft System” as the pros call them) being used for something amazing and something frightening. Be it constructing buildings through 3D-printing drones or spying on sunbathing beauties, the use of drones appears to be limited only …

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FAA Provides Guidance on Compensation of Drone Pilots by Media Outlets

We have all seen them—videos of chimps swatting down quadcopters with branches, majestic photos of natural scenery taken from a bird’s-eye view, and even shots of alleged criminals in action. In contrast to the comic book heroes who searched tirelessly for that perfect photo to grace the cover of the local newspaper, many of the …

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Close Encounter Between Airliner and “Drone” Reflects Challenges to a Fledgling Industry

        On April 28, 2015, the crew of Virgin America flight 769 reported seeing a “drone” flying in the approach path to Dallas Love Field as the airliner descended for landing. Based on media reports, at about 9:30 p.m., the crew witnessed a lighted quadcopter flying above their aircraft as they passed over the Crescent …

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FAA Legal Interpretation Presents Problems for Ride Sharing Websites and the Pilots Who Use Them

In an August 13, 2014 legal interpretation letter, the FAA challenges the legality of general aviation “ride sharing” websites such as Airpooler.com, and it raises important issues for pilots relating to potential FAA enforcement actions and problems with insurance coverage. Airpooler.com is a website designed to facilitate “ride sharing” between private pilots and passengers, essentially …

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