3125SterlingCircleSuite107Boulder,CO80301 FotokiteUSLLC October29,2024
Subject: FotokiteSoleSourceForActivelyTetheredAerialSolutions TheFotokiteSigmaisapatentedactivelytetheredaerialsolutionthatcanprovidepublicsafetypersonneltheabilitytohavecriticalsituationalawareness. Withasimple,intuitiveinterface,theusercanhaveanon-demandaerialviewwiththepushofabutton,andafewfingertapstoaimthecamerawheredesired. AtnotimedoestheoperatorneedtoactivelycontroltheSigmaotherthanadjustingtheheightandredirectingthecamera,allowingtheusertoconcentrateonassessingthesituationathandandnotthemechanicsofpiloting. TheFotokiteSigmaistheonlysystemonthemarketthatprovidesthistotalactivelytetheredsolutiontoday.
Thisactivelytethereddesignationgivesfirstrespondersthefreedomtooperatethesystemwithouttheneedfortheusualdronecertification/licensingfromtheFAA. ThelanguagepertainingtothiswaspassedintolawwiththesigningoftheFAAReauthorizationActof2018andfurtherexpandeduponintheTheSecuringGrowthandRobustLeadershipinAmericanAviationAct(H.R.3935),whichpassedonMay16th,2024. RegardingoperationalfreedomgrantedtoPublicSafetyteamsaroundactivelytetheredUAS,hereissomesupportinginformationinTheSecuringGrowthandRobustLeadershipinAmericanAviationAct(H.R.3935).ThefullBillcanbefoundat:https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3935/text(andthe"activelytethered"languagecanbefoundinSection926whichamendstheoldlanguagefrom2018. Sections§44801&§44806arealsoprovidedbelowforreference.Hereisthedirectlanguage:
TheSecuringGrowthandRobust LeadershipinAmericanAviationAct (H.R.3935):
SEC.926.PUBLICSAFETYUSEOFTETHEREDUAS.(a)InGeneral.--Section44806oftitle49,UnitedStatesCode,isamended--(1)inthesectionheadingbyinserting``andpublicsafetyuseoftetheredunmannedaircraftsystems''after``systems'';(2)insubsection(c)--(A)inthesubsectionheadingbyinserting``safetyuseof''after``public'';and(B)inparagraph(1)--(i)inthematterprecedingsubparagraph(A)-- (I)bystriking``Notlaterthan180daysafterthedateofenactmentofthisAct,the''andinserting``The'';(II)bystriking``permittheuseof''andinserting``permit'';(III)bystriking``public'';and(IV)byinserting``byapublicsafetyorganizationforsuchsystems''after``systems''; (ii)bystrikingsubparagraph(A)andinsertingthe
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following:``(A)operated--``(i)atorbelowanaltitudeof150feetabovegroundlevelwithinclassB,C,D,E,orGairspace,butnotatagreateraltitudethantheceilingdepictedontheUASFacilityMapspublishedbytheFederalAviationAdministration,whereapplicable;``(ii)withinzero-gridairspacesasdepictedonsuchUASFacilityMaps,onlyifoperatedinlife-savingoremergencysituationsandwithpriornotificationtotheAdministrationinamannerdeterminedbytheAdministrator;or``(iii)above150feetabovegroundlevelwithinclassB,C,D,E,orGairspaceonlywithpriorauthorizationfromtheAdministrator;'';(iii)bystrikingsubparagraph(B);and(iv)byredesignatingsubparagraphs(C),(D),and(E)assubparagraphs(B),(C),and(D),respectively;and(C)inparagraph(3)bystriking``Publicactively''andinserting``Actively'';and(3)byaddingattheendthefollowing:``(e)Definition.--Inthissection,theterm`publicsafetyorganization'meansanentitythatprimarilyengagesinactivitiesrelatedtothesafetyandwell-beingofthegeneralpublic,includinglawenforcement,firedepartments,emergencymedicalservices,andotherorganizationsthatprotectandservethepublicinmattersofsafetyandsecurity.''.(b)ClericalAmendment.--Theanalysisforchapter448oftitle49,UnitedStatesCode,isamendedbystrikingtheitemrelatingtosection44806andinsertingthefollowing:``44806.Publicunmannedaircraftsystemsandpublicsafetyuseoftetheredunmannedaircraftsystems.''. (c)Definition.--Section44801(1)oftitle49,UnitedStatesCode,isamended--(1)bystrikingsubparagraph(A)andinserting:``(A)weighs55poundsorless,includingpayloadbutnotincludingthetether;'';(2)insubparagraph(B)bystriking``and''attheend;(3)insubparagraph(C)bystrikingtheperiodattheendandinsertingasemicolon;and(4)byaddingattheendthefollowing:``(D)isabletomaintainsafeflightcontrolintheeventofapowerorflightcontrolfailureduringflight;and``(E)isprogrammedtoinitiateacontrolledlandingintheeventofatetherseparation.''.
FAAReauthorizationAct of2018:
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CHAPTER448--UNMANNEDAIRCRAFTSYSTEMS
Sec.44801.<<NOTE:49USC44801.>>DefinitionsInthischapter,thefollowingdefinitionsapply:(1)Activelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystem.--Thetermactivelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystemmeansanunmannedaircraftsysteminwhichtheunmannedaircraftcomponent--(A)weighs4.4poundsorless,includingpayloadbutnotincludingthetether;(B)isphysicallyattachedtoagroundstationwithataut,appropriatelyload-ratedtetherthatprovidescontinuouspowertotheunmannedaircraftandisunlikelytobeseparatedfromtheunmannedaircraft;and(C)iscontrolledandretrievedbysuchgroundstationthroughphysicalmanipulationofthetether.
Sec.44806.<<NOTE:49USC44806.>>Publicunmannedaircraftsystems(c)PublicActivelyTetheredUnmannedAircraftSystems.--(1)Ingeneral.--Notlaterthan180daysafterthedateofenactmentofthisAct,theAdministratoroftheFederalAviationAdministrationshallpermittheuseof,andmayissueguidanceregarding,theuseofpublicactivelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystemsthatare--(A)operatedatanaltitudeoflessthan150feetabovegroundlevel;(B)operated--(i)withinclassGairspace;or(ii)atorbelowtheceilingdepictedontheFederalAviationAdministration'spublishedUASfacilitymapsforclassB,C,D,orEsurfaceareaairspace;(C)notflowndirectlyovernon-participatingpersons;(D)operatedwithinvisuallineofsightoftheoperator;and(E)operatedinamannerthatdoesnotinterferewithandgiveswaytoanyotheraircraft.(2)Requirements.--Publicactivelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystemsmaybeoperated--(A)withoutany(2)requirementtoobtainacertificateofauthorization,certificateofwaiver,orotherapprovalbytheFederalAviationAdministration;(B)withoutrequiringairmancertificationundersection44703ofthistitleoranyrule2orregulationrelatingtoairmancertification;and(C)withoutrequiringairworthinesscertificationundersection44704ofthistitleoranyruleorregulationrelatingtoaircraftcertification.(3)Safetystandards.--Publicactivelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystemsoperatedwithinthescopeoftheguidanceissuedpursuanttoparagraph(1)shallbeexemptfromtherequirementsofsection44805ofthistitle.(4)Savingsprovision.--NothinginthissubsectionshallbeconstruedtoprecludetheadministratoroftheFederalAviationAdministrationfromissuingnewregulationsforpublicactivelytetheredunmannedaircraftsystemsinordertoensurethesafetyofthenationalairspacesystem.
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FotokitealsoholdsanumberofpatentsinboththeU.S.andinEuropesupportingtheintellectualpropertytheydevelopedtoprovidethisoperationalsimplicityandeffectiveness. IntheU.S.specifically,patents9753355,10571779,and10168601,supportFotokite’sdevelopmenteffortssofar,aswellasfurtherpendingIP.
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