UAV roundup 2/9: The latest in unmanned aerial vehicle news

With so many headlines related to UAVs coming out as late, I’ve decided to do another version of the "UAV Roundup." In the previous version, I covered the FAA’s settlement with Raphael Pirker, who in 2013 was cited by the agency for flying a UAV to film a commercial in Virginia; as well as the latest FAA Section 333 exemptions, and some comments made by President Barack Obama on UAVs.

This particular version covers some additional UAV exemptions, two exemption amendments, and a 2016 US fiscal year budget request by President Obama that aims to put money into unmanned aircraft.

FAA exemptions

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted eight more commercial unmanned aircraft systems exemptions for companies to operate in the U.S. national airspace.

The new exemptions are as follows:

• Total Safety Inc. will be allowed to operate UAVs for flare stack inspection.
• Slugwear, Inc. (dba LikeonaTree Aerial) will perform aerial photography and surveys with UAVs.
• Team 5 LLC will perform aerial filming in the motion picture and television industry using UAVs. (UAV pictured).
• ShotoverCamera Systems LP will perform aerial filming in the motion picture and television industry using UAVs.
• Helinet Aviation Services LLC will perform aerial filming in the motion picture and television industry using UAVs.
• Alan D. Purwin will perform aerial filming in the motion picture and television industry using UAVs.
• Pravia LLC (Granted two exemptions) will use UAVs for aerial imagery to a domestic agricultural seed company, for agricultural analysis including biomass estimation, yield monitoring, leaf area indexing, and reporting of geographical data and overall crop health to a domestic agricultural seed company.

In addition, the FAA amended two of the first exemptions that were granted for Pictorvision Inc. and Aerial MOB LLC to include additional types of small UAVs for aerial filmmaking. The exemptions were amended, according to the AUVSI, because Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx found that the UAVs in the proposed operations do not need a certificate of airworthiness because they do not pose a threat to national security or national airspace users.

View all FAA exemptions for UAVs.

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