Different Types of UAS Operations

The following safety guidelines are taken from the Federal Aviation Administration website www.faa.gov/uas

Public Operations

Follow the Recreational Rules for flying!

Guidelines

Public entities, which include Federal government, publically funded universities, law enforcement, fire departments and other government agencies, may currently apply for a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the FAA in order to use small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) in public aircraft operations.

Users of commercial and recreational UAS should be aware that in remote, rural, and agricultural areas, manned aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, may be operating very close to ground level. Pilots conducting agricultural, firefighting, law enforcement, emergency medical, wildlife survey operations, and a variety of other services all legally and routinely work in low-level airspace. Operators controlling UAS in these areas should maintain situational awareness, give way to, and remain a safe distance from these low-level, manned airplanes and helicopters.

Who can obtain a COA to operate public aircraft?

• Only government entities—such as federal and state government agencies, law enforcement agencies and public colleges and universities—can receive a COA for public UAS aircraft operations.
• Public aircraft operations must be conducted for a governmental function.
• COAs are most commonly issued to public (government) entities, but are also required for civil (private) operations.
• The FAA thoroughly evaluates each COA application to determine the safety of the proposal.
• COAs are issued for a specific period of time, usually two years, and include special provisions unique to each proposal, such as a defined block of airspace and time of day UAS can be used.

How can I apply for a COA?

• Visit the FAA website for information on how to apply for a COA online.
• A sample application can be viewed here.
• Since 2009, the FAA has taken steps to streamline the application process by transitioning online.
• The average COA processing time is less than 60 days.
• Expedited authorization is available in emergency and life-threatening situations.
   

Commercial Users

Follow the Recreational Rules!

The FAA currently authorizes the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for commercial or business purposes on a case-by-case basis. You may not fly your UAS for commercial purpose without the express permission from the FAA. You should check with the FAA for further determination as to what constitutes a commercial or business use of small UAS.

Users of commercial and recreational UAS should be aware that in remote, rural, and agricultural areas, manned aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, may be operating very close to ground level. Pilots conducting agricultural, firefighting, law enforcement, emergency medical, wildlife survey operations, and a variety of other services all legally and routinely work in low-level airspace. Operators controlling UAS in these areas should maintain situational awareness, give way to, and remain a safe distance from these low-level, manned airplanes and helicopters.

What is a commercial use of UAS?

• Any commercial use in connection with a business, including:
• Selling photos or videos taken from a UAS
• Using UAS to provide contract services, such as industrial equipment or factory inspection
• Using UAS to provide professional services, such as security or telecommunications

What are some examples of commercial uses of UAS?

• Professional crop scouting
• Professional real estate or wedding photography
• Professional cinema photography for a film or television production
• Providing contract services for mapping or land surveys

If you want to use UAS for a commercial purpose, you have a few options. You can apply for an exemption from the FAA to operate commercially. You can use UAS with an FAA airworthiness certificate and operate pursuant to FAA rules. In both cases you would also need an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA). For more information about how to apply for an exemption, visit the FAA’s “Section 333” page.

Model Aircraft Operations

Model aircraft operations are for hobby or recreational purposes only.

The FAA has partnered with several industry associations to promote Know Before You Fly, a campaign to educate the public about using unmanned aircraft safely and responsibly. Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include:

• Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles
• Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times
• Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations
• Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying
• Don't fly near people or stadiums
• Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs
• Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft

The statutory parameters of a model aircraft operation are outlined in Section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012) (PDF). Individuals who fly within the scope of these parameters do not require permission to operate their UAS; any flight outside these parameters (including any non-hobby, non-recreational operation) requires FAA authorization. For example, using a UAS to take photos for your personal use is recreational; using the same device to take photographs or videos for compensation or sale to another individual would be considered a non-recreational operation.

Types of UAS

Fixed wing and multirotor are the two main types of UAS.  Each type has its own unique characteristics and uses, advantages and disadvantages.

A Fixed wing UAV looks like an airplane. 

Since the wing provides lift the motor doesn’t have to spend all the battery power to maintain flight. This allows battery power to be used for other components on the aircraft like GPS and sensors. Larger 6-cell Lithium-Polymer batteries provide even more power and allow the some UAV aircraft to fly over an hour covering hundreds to over 1000 acres on one battery.

A disadvantage to fixed wing UAVs are they require an area to land. As good as autopilots have become, sometimes it still requires a little experience to land the aircraft. Bottom line, crashes are more likely with a fixed wing.

The multirotor UAV looks similar to a helicopter with multiple rotors. Multirotors can take-off and land just about anywhere. They’re much easier to learn how to fly and land. Since the rotors provide all the lift for the vehicle the battery life it greatly reduced. New batteries are being developed that will extend flight time for multirotors and fixed wing. Bottom line, much shorter flight times (15 to 20 minutes) with a multirotor UAV and less crash potential on landing.

The image to the left shows one square section or 640 acres. The size of the circles give you an idea of the approximate acres that could be flown by each UAV type on one battery. The small red circles are where you would be standing as an operator to keep the UAV in site at all times during the flight.

There are 4 components that make up a UAS system:

1. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that is the fixed wing and multirotor discussed above
2. Ground Control Station (GCS). Allows planning of the flight and real time location display of the aircraft during flight. If there is a problem with the aircraft or is in danger the pilot can take control with the transmitter.
3. The humans: pilot(s) and observer(s)
4. Image processing systems (makes your pretty picture meaningful and actionable)