The city of Parkersburg used a drone to survey a sports complex project site and to inspect the 2008 tornado damage path and recovery of the city. It is likely this type of use will increase across the country as the technology advances and costs decline.ĭrones can be used by other city departments in a variety of ways as well. For example, the Fort Dodge Police Department used the assistance of a drone operator in 2015 to help look for a couple of lost children that were possibly near the Des Moines River. Also, sophisticated cameras could be mounted on drones to allow emergency responders to use them for search and rescue operations. They could be used by fire departments to monitor fire scenes. Law enforcement officers could use drones to enhance training exercises or to monitor dangerous police operations, allowing them to safely survey a situation from overhead. Nationally, approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies and 30,000 fire departments could use drones for a variety of public safety purposes. Appropriate UsageĬities are finding appropriate ways of integrating drones into their city operations. In a press release the FAA stated, “State and local Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) are often in the best position to deter, detect, immediately investigate and, as appropriate, pursue enforcement actions to stop unauthorized UAS operations.” State, county and local law enforcement officers in Iowa and throughout the nation are guaranteed to see a steady rise of drone complaints in the near future, and the FAA has many resources available to assist law enforcement officers. The FAA relies on state, county and local law enforcement agencies to report drone operators who fail to abide by current FAA rules and regulations. FAA policy is continually evolving and racing to keep pace with the exponential growth of drone use and the different types of users as well. As the use of drones grows in each category, the FAA has been tasked with keeping up with the advancing technology, requested uses, types of users, user conflicts, public concerns, privacy issues, lack of a consistent public policy and more. Regulations recently released by the FAA focus on recreational users and model aircraft and are a different set of regulations than those which pertain to commercial users. These three categories include: Public Operations (Governmental), Civil Operations (Non-Governmental), and Model Aircraft (Hobby or Recreation only). To assist drone users in using the technology the FAA has divided drone usage into three categories, each with their own distinct rules and responsibilities. The FAA is greatly concerned with state and local governments creating substantial air safety issues by crafting their own rules which interfere with existing FAA rules and regulations. The Federal Aviation Administrationĭrones are considered aircraft by federal law and fall under the jurisdiction of the FAA. As the cost of drones continues to become more affordable their popularity soars. Drones vary greatly in size and can be as large as a full-sized plane or as small as an insect.Īlthough they are most commonly called drones, the FAA defines drones as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), radio controlled aircraft (RC) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).The common factor connecting all drones is that they are built to operate with no pilot onboard and their flight is controlled outside of the flying device. They are frequently operated in conjunction with a cell phone or tablet. The drones popular today with the general public are typically recreational, radio-controlled flying machines often equipped with small cameras. Please visit the FAA’s website for the latest federal rules on drones and requirements for operator registration. It is also important to know how to encourage the legal and appropriate use of drones to the benefit of your community, the state and all citizens. While many cities in Iowa are considering enacting rules to regulate the use of drones in their jurisdictions, it is important to consult the FAA prior to passing an ordinance or resolution in order to avoid any conflicts. The FAA desires a national navigable airspace that is free from inconsistent state and local restrictions. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the primary decision-making authority regarding aircraft, including drones, and has jurisdiction over our nation’s airspace. However, there are concerns about drones and the unintended use of the technology involving personal safety, privacy, security, illegal activity and constitutional rights issues. in 2015 as more people find benefits from uses, including recreational, agricultural, commercial, governmental and more. It is estimated that millions of drones were sold in the U.S.
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