UAV Law – Don’t Get Stuck With A Dictatorship In The Sky

The UAVs operate autonomously for both operation and navigation purposes and can be located anywhere within sight or operation range. The UAVs can be as small as a bug and as big as a full size aircraft, depending upon the needs of the client. Many UAV applications are using a data protocol called MOUSE-V. This facilitates the UAV to communicate with a centralized control station, which is usually a wireless router. The UAV also communicates via standard PCS or voice over internet protocol with the base station. The base station also broadcasts coordinates to the UAV and receives coordinates from the UAV.

Operating in a Drone Zone While the United States Federal Aviation Administration released regulations in November of 2021 that restrict the type and size of drones that may be flown or operated within the United States, it is actually very difficult to operate and be detected from outside the zones. The Drone Zone is opened during regular park hours except for military bases. The Drone Zone remains closed during military base maintenance. The UAVs operating in the Drone Zone can fly around and above everyday living areas, but they cannot be flown within any restricted airspace.

If you are outside of your flying zone and you see a UAV, it does not mean that it is not autonomous or not under your control. It could very well be flying in restricted airspace and not aware that it is being observed by the general public. Most people who live in the United States are not aware of no-fly zones and the laws that surround them. As long as the operator maintains proper radio transmissions with local authorities they will most likely remain out of trouble.

You are not allowed to fly the UAV into restricted airspace or into any No Fly Zones. If you are flying the UAV outside of your no-fly zone, you are still legally permitted to fly the UAV for personal, business or recreational purposes. Please note that some areas have created emergency response activities in the case that a UAV becomes airborne and no-fly guidelines have been violated. If you are flying your UAV into these areas, you should contact the county sheriff or law enforcement agencies and have your UAV removed from the area until the authorities can deal with it. The purpose of this is to keep anyone from flying the UAV into a no-fly zone and potentially creating a dangerous situation for pilots and others who might be nearby when an emergency situation occurs.

The Federal Aviation Administration releases a list of the no-fly zones and the zones where the Federal Aviation Administration reserves the right to issue a security alert regarding the presence of a particular UAV. You should always check with your local or state government offices to find out what the restrictions are for your area. If you are flying the UAV outside of your no-fly zones then you are not subject to the same restrictions. You may be breaking one of the drone rules but not the entire list.

The bottom line is that there are some pretty tough laws governing UAVs flying within the United States and Canada. Not only are they hard to get flying regulations created to stop drones from encroaching on private property, but the Federal Aviation Administration is consistently issuing warnings to people who violate the no fly or restricted airspace regulations. UAVs will be around for a long time to come but we need to work through the mess that they make for everyone else first. So, let’s be smart about this and stay away from dod facilities and try to stay as safe as we can and then use our resources wisely when flying our drones in the sky.