FAA&PUBLICACTIVELYTETHEREDUAS
1. ActivelyTetheredUnmannedAircraft System(UAS) Definition:The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American AviationAct (H.R.3935), whichwent into lawonMay 16th, 2024, expandeduponthe definitionof Actively Tethered Unmanned Aircraft Systems, originallyintroducedinthe FAAReauthorizationAct of 2018. Anactively tetheredunmannedaircraftsystem” meansanunmannedaircraftsysteminwhichtheunmannedaircraftcomponent:
A) weighs55poundsorless, includingpayloadbutnotincludingthetether;B) is physically attached to a ground station with a taut, appropriately load-rated tether thatprovides continuous power to the unmanned aircraft and is unlikely to be separated fromtheunmannedaircraft;C) iscontrolledandretrievedbysuchgroundstationthroughphysical manipulationof thetether;D) is able to maintainsafeflightcontrol intheeventof apowerorflightcontrol failureduringflight;andE) isprogrammedtoinitiateacontrolledlandingintheeventof atetherseparation.
2. RegulatoryAdvantagesComparedtoPilotedUASSection926of H.R.3935amendsSection44806of Title49, UnitedStatesCode, tosaythatActivelyTetheredUnmannedAircraftSystemsmaybeoperated--A) without any requirement to obtaina Certificate of Authorization, Certificate of Waiver, or otherapproval bytheFederal AviationAdministration;B) without requiringairmancertificationunder section44703 of this title or any rule or regulationrelatingtoairmancertification; andC) without requiring airworthiness certification under section 44704 of this title or any rule orregulationrelatingtoaircraftcertification.
This language allows any Public Safety entity to operate without the normal requirements of a Pt. 107pilotlicense or COA to operate in public safety applications. In order to safely facilitate the greater operationalfreedomallowed for this category of UAS, a set of operational requirements are definedfor Public ActivelyTetheredUASinSection44806. Thesearelistedbelow.
3. Operational Requirementsfor PublicActivelyTetheredUASSection926of theActamendsSection44806of title49, UnitedStatesCode, tosaythat, PublicActivelyTetheredUASmustbe:A) operated—(i) atorbelowanaltitudeof 150feetabovegroundlevel withinclassB, C, D, E, orGairspace,butnotatagreateraltitudethantheceilingdepictedontheUASFacilityMapspublishedbytheFederal AviationAdministration, whereapplicable;(ii) withinzero-gridairspacesasdepictedonsuchUASFacilityMaps, onlyif operatedinlife-savingoremergencysituationsandwithpriornotificationtotheAdministrationinamannerdeterminedbytheAdministrator; or B) notflowndirectlyovernon-participatingpersons;C) operatedwithinvisual lineof sightof theoperator; andD) operatedinamannerthatdoesnotinterferewithandgiveswaytoanyotheraircraft.Thisexpandstheoperational capabilitiestoincludetheabilitytooperateinzerogridairspacessuchasairports, inlife-savingoremergencysituationswithnotificationtotheFAA(likeacall tothelocal AirTrafficController) whichisnodifferentthantheprocessof operatingafireserviceaerial devicetoday.
4. PublicSafetyOrganizationSection926of theSecurityGrowthandRobustLeadershipinAmericanAviationActdefinestheterm“publicsafetyorganization” asanentitythatprimarilyengagesinactivitiesrelatedtothesafetyandwell-beingof thegeneral public, includinglawenforcement, firedepartments, emergencymedical services, andotherorganizationsthatprotectandservethepublicinmattersof safetyandsecurity.
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Thisdefinitionclarifiesthatall publicsafetypersonnel, whetherpaidorvolunteer, meetthequalificationofoperatinganActivelyTetheredUASwithouttheneedforaPart107DronePilotLicenseorCOA.
5. Additional InformationTheFotokiteSigmaadherestoeachof thedefiningcharacteristicsof aPublicActivelyTetheredUASin(1) andthereforemaybeoperatedbyPublicSafetyentitieswiththeadvantageslistedin(2). TheFotokiteSigmaisstillsubjecttootherFAArequirements, suchastheneedtoregisteryourUASwiththeFAAandcomplywiththeoperational requirementslistedin(3). All organizationsthatmeetthedefinitionof aPublicSafetyOrganizationasdefinedin(4) canfreelyoperatetheFotokiteSigmawithoutneedforaPart107DronePilotLicenseorCOA.PleasecontactFotokiteif youhaveanyfurtherquestionsregardingtheFotokiteSigmaorActivelyTetheredUAS.
Furtherinformationcanbefoundhere:- https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3935/text Contact Our [email protected]| (315)-509-2323| Fotokite