DronesandtheLawIntroduction

FAA’sRegulationsvs.Congress’Legislation

RecreationalUsevs.AcademicUse

PrivatePropertyvs.PublicAirspace

FlyinginClassBAirspace

WorkingwithMassPort

HelpfulResources

IntroductionWhoarewe&whatdowedo

http://sites.bu.edu/tclc

Definitions• UAS=unmannedaircraftsystem

o Includesaircraft&equipmentnecessaryforsafe&efficientoperation

o Unmannedaircraftisdefinedas“anaircraftthatisoperatedwithoutthepossibilityofdirecthumaninterventionfromwithinorontheaircraft”

• Modelaircraft(Part101)

• sUAS =smallunmannedaircraftsystem(Part107)

FAA’sRegulationsvs.Congress’LegislationWhatarethey&whathappenswhentheyareinconflict

FAAAuthorityforRulemaking• Historically:

o 1926– AirCommerceActo 1938– CivilAeronauticsActo 1958– FederalAviationAct(newindependentbody)o 1967– FAAchangeditsnametoFederalAviationAdministrationo 2012– FAAModernizationandReformAct

• FAAisinchargeofpromulgatingregulations:(1)Toensurethesafetyofaircraftandtheefficientuseofairspace;and(2)Togoverntheflightofaircraftforpurposesofnavigating,protectingandidentifyingaircraft,andprotectingindividualsandpropertyontheground.

ModelAircraft

ModelAircraft– Part101(e)• CongressspecificallyprohibitedFAAfrommakingnewrules

for“modelaircrafts,”or“aircraftsbeingdevelopedasmodelaircrafts,”thatmeetfollowingcriteria:o Flownstrictlyforhobbyandrecreationaluseo Operatedaccordingtocommunity-basedsafetyguidelines*o Nomorethan55lbs (unlesscertified)o Doesnotinterferewithmannedaircrafto Whenflownwithin5mi.ofairport,priornoticeofoperationgiven

WHAT (physical)– HOW (protocol)– WHY (intent)

FAAvs.CongressAllAircrafts

UAS’sModelAircraft

ModelAircraft• Modelaircraftsthatdonot meetpart101(modelaircraft)

criteriaaredeemed“smallunmannedaircrafts”underpart107andaresubjecttothenewFAAregulations,andpotentiallyfuturerulemakingactions

• FAA’sattemptto“takeback”modelaircrafts:• Publicsafetyconcerns• Registrationrequirements

FAAvs.CongressAllAircrafts

UAS’sModelAircraft

Okay,but...1. Publicsafety2. Registration

FAA’sEnforcementAuthority:PublicSafety

• ModelaircraftexemptiondoesnotlimitFAA’sauthoritytopursueenforcementactionagainstmodelaircraftsthat“endangerthesafetyofthenationalairspacesystem(NAS)”o CongressspecificallyrecognizedFAA'sexistingauthoritytotake

enforcementactiontoprotectsafetyofNASo Remember:FAAischargedwithpromulgatingregulationsforflightof

aircrafttoprotectevenpeopleandpropertyontheground

FAA’sEnforcementAuthority:Registration

• TheFAAasksthatyou:o Markallaircraftwithyournumberbeforeoperationo Makethenumbervisiblewithoutusingtools(youmaymarkit

insidebatterycompartmentifaccessible)o Youmayuseanymethodtoaffixnumberthatensuresit

remainsvisible,includingpermanentmarker,label,orengraving

o YoumusthaveyourFAAregistrationcertificateinyourpossessionwhenoperatingyourunmannedaircraft

NOTE:theFAAdoesnotrequireregistrationifyou’resolelyflyingindoors

InterpretationofSpecialRuleforModelAircraft

TheFAAstatesthatthefollowingrulesstillapplytomodelaircraftuse:o Prohibitionsoncarelessorrecklessoperationanddroppingobjectsso

astocreatehazardtopersonsorpropertyo Right-of-wayrulesforconvergingaircrafto Operatinginparticularclassofairspaceo Operationsinareascoveredbytemporaryflightrestrictions*and

noticestoairmen

BottomLineSinceFAAisstillconsideringspecificmeaningof“modelaircraft”inseparateregulatoryaction,ithaslimiteditsrulemakingsimply toenforcementofoperationsthatendangerNASsafety

RecreationalUsevs.AcademicUseHowareusesdefinedandwhatdotheymean

Istheuserecreational?

Isitacademic?

Isiteducational?

Isitforresearch?

YESIsitcommercial?

NO

YES

YESModelAircraft(Part101)

NO

YESsUAS

(Part107)

NO

Isitforfun/hobby?

?

AcademicUseofDrones:EducationorResearch?

• Currently,unmannedaircraftsusedforresearch purposesareNOTexemptfromFAAregulationso UnderPart107,sUAS operationsforresearchdonotqualifyfor

Congress’modelaircraftstatutoryexception

• Commenterviewsfromtheacademiccommunity:o UASAmericaFund:Makespecialallowanceforoperationsthatdonot

meetallofthecriteriaformodelaircraftbutareconductedforresearchpurposes

o PrincetonUniversity:Universitiesshouldbeabletoobtain“EducationalUASLicense”

AcademicUseofDrones:EducationorResearch?

• However,FAAissuedmemoranduminMayexplainingthatitwouldconsidercertain educationaloperationsas"hobbyorrecreational"usewhichisexemptfromFAAregulationso Studentuse:studentsmayoperateUAS’stofurthertheiraviation-

relatededucationateducationalinstitution,providedthatstudentis(1)notcompensated,or(2)anycompensationreceivedisneitherdirectlynorincidentallyrelatedtothatperson'soperationofaircraftatsuchevents

o Facultyuse:allowsfor"deminimis"UASusebyfacultyduringstudentcoursework,butonlywhenfacultymember'shands-onuseofdronewouldbe"secondary"tolessonstaught§ ThiswouldnotapplytocourseforUASflightinstruction

sUAS:Part107(NEW!)Pilotrequirements:• Mustbeatleast16yearsold• MustpassinitialaeronauticalknowledgetestatFAA-

approvedknowledgetestingcenter• MustbevettedbyTransportationSafetyAdministration(TSA)

Aircraftrequirements:• Lessthan55lbs• Mustberegistered

sUAS:Part107(NEW!)OperatingRules:• ClassGairspace*• Mustkeeptheaircraftinsight(visualline-of-sight)*• Mustflyunder400feet*• Mustflyduringtheday*• Mustflyatorbelow100mph*• Mustyieldrightofwaytomannedaircraft*• MustNOTflyoverpeople*• MustNOTflyfromamovingvehicle*

*subjecttowaiver

sUAS:RemotePilotTraining• KnowledgeTestingCenterschargeapproximately$150to

peopleseekingtotakeaeronauticalknowledgetest

• StudymaterialsincludetheAirmanCertificationStandards(ACS)forUnmannedAircraftSystems,theRemotePilotStudyGuide,andonlinesamplequestions

• Afterpassingtest,youmustcompleteFAAAirmanCertificateand/orRatingApplicationtoreceiveyourcertificate(validatedw/in10days)

• Evenifyoualreadyhavepilotcertificateissuedunderpart61,youstillneedtoobtainremotepilotcertificatetoflysUAS

MIT“House”RulesTheMITOfficeofGeneralCounsel(OGC)iswillingtoworkwithstudentUAVpilotsinterestedinflyingonMITproperty.TalktocounselReginaDuganformoreinformation.

MITEnvironmentalHealth&Safety(EH&S)alsohasresourcesforon-campusdroneflight,andalternativesforflightplansthatmaybelimitedbyFAArules.

PrivatePropertyvs.PublicAirspaceWheredoesoneend&theotherbegin

PrivatePropertyvs.PublicAirspace

• FederalgovernmentclaimsexclusivesovereigntyofU.S.airspace

• CongressdelegatedtoFAAtheabilitytodefine“navigableairspace”andtheauthoritytoregulate“navigableairspace”ofaircraftbyregulationorordero However,theboundariesofthatairspaceremainunclear

Formativecase:CausbyU.S.v.Causby,328U.S.256 (1946)• Providedguidanceonwhereprivatepropertyrightsto

airspaceendandnavigableairspacebegins• Determinedthat“navigableairspace”isairspaceabove

minimumsafealtitudesofflightprescribedbyCAA• “Theairspace,apartfromthe

immediatereachesabovetheland,ispartofthepublicdomain.Weneednotdetermineatthistimewhatthosepreciselimits

• are.”o a.k.a.stillunresolvedareaoflaw

Causby• Didnotclarifywhathappensbetween83feet(whichwasout

ofnavigableairspace)and500feet(stillpresumablywithinnavigableairspace)

• Post-Causby, Congressredefined“navigableairspace”:airspaceatandabovetheminimumflightaltitudesprescribedbyorunderthischapter,includingairspaceneededforsafetakeoffandlanding

FAAPerspective• FAAarguesthatit“hasauthoritytoregulateaircraftinU.S.

Airspace”atanyaltitude

• BecausefederallawstatesthatFAA“shalldevelopplansandpolicyfortheuseofthenavigableairspaceandassignbyregulationorordertheuseoftheairspacenecessarytoensurethesafetyofaircraftandtheefficientuseofairspace”

FutureCaseMayResolveIssue• Boggsv.Meredith- caseinWesternDistrictCourtof

Kentucky whereBoggsisseekingtohavethedistrictcourtdeclarewhatnavigableairspaceiso Firstcasedealingwithhowlowadronecanflylegallyover

people’spropertyo LastbriefingofthecasewasinJuneandsothisisonetolookoutfor.o Note:Thecourtdidnotactuallygettothesubstantivequestionat

handbecauseitgotcaughtuponjurisdictionalgrounds(i.e.whetherthecasecouldcomeforwardinthefirstplace).

FlyinginClassBAirspaceWhatareClassBrestrictions

ClassBAirspace• “[T]hatairspacefromthesurfaceto10,000feetMSL

surroundingthenation'sbusiestairportsintermsofIFRoperationsorpassengerenplanements”

ClassBAirspace

BravoAirspacesUAS:14CFR§ 107.41Operationincertainairspace.

NopersonmayoperateasmallunmannedaircraftinClassB,ClassC,orClassDairspaceorwithinthelateralboundariesofthesurfaceareaofClassEairspacedesignatedforanairportunlessthatpersonhaspriorauthorizationfromAirTrafficControl(ATC).

Modelaircraft:14CFR§ 101.43EndangeringtheSafetyoftheNationalAirspaceSystem

Nopersonmayoperatemodelaircraftsoastoendangerthesafetyofthenationalairspacesystem.

WorkingwithMassPortHow&wherecanIflyinMassachusetts

WheretoFly• FAAhasmobileappcalledB4UFLYtohelprecreationalUAS

operatorsknowwhetherthereareanyrestrictionsorrequirementswheretheywanttoflyo Importantnote:thisappusesstatutemiles,notnauticalmiles!

• Formoreinformation,seealsohttps://www.faa.gov/uas/where_to_fly/

WheretoFly:B4UFly

WheretoFly:B4UFly• Ifapp’sstatusindicatoris

red,userisincontrolled(ClassesB,C,D,orE)airspaces- forexample,BUSchoolofLaw

• Ifapp’sstatusindicatorisyellow,userisinuncontrolled(ClassG)airspace- forexample,TheMITDome

HowtoNotifyAirports• AccordingtoFAA,youmust

contactanyairports—includingheliportsandsea-basedairports—and airtrafficcontroltowerswithin5statutemilesofyourproposedareaofoperations

• AlsoaccordingtoFAA,RequestaWaiver/AirspaceAuthorizationmayonlybedonesoonline

HowtoNotifyAirports• ApplicantsshouldsubmittheirwaiverrequeststoFAAas

earlyaspossible;processingtimedependsoncomplexityofrequest;howeveragencystrivestorespondwithin90days

• “[A]nairportoperatorcanobjecttotheproposeduseofamodelaircraftwithinfivemilesofanairportiftheproposedactivitywouldendangerthesafetyoftheairspace.”

HowtoNotifyAirports• “However,theairportoperatorcannotprohibitorprevent

themodelaircraftoperatorfromoperatingwithinfivemilesoftheairport.”

• UnsafeflyinginspiteoftheobjectionofanairportoperatormaybeevidencethattheoperatorwasendangeringthesafetyoftheNationalAirspaceSystem• Andthefinesaresubstantial!• ConsideringflightclosetoLogan?Cometotalktousfirst!

HelpfulResourcesIhavemorequestionsand/orIamcurioustolearnmore

HelpfulResources• http://www.faa.gov/

• https://www.massport.com/logan-airport/drone-information/

• http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

• ContactOGC&EHSaboutMIT’srules

• ComevisitusduringourMITofficehours!

Thankyou!BiancaEddy,bmeddy@bu.eduKaitlinHeinen,krheinen@bu.eduAndySellars,sellars@bu.edu