Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Posted by Cheri Cutright

Last week Brian Griffin of Precision Midwest gave a program on Unmanned

Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), and how they can be

used for commercial endeavors.

Last week Brian Griffin of Precision Midwest gave a program on Unmanned

Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), and how they can be

used for commercial endeavors. A UAV is defined as an unmanned aerial vehicle

without a human pilot on board. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by

computers in the vehicle, or under the control of a remote pilot. UAS consist of an

unmanned aerial vehicle, a control station with data link, and pilot, support equipment,

and software.

The UAV Mr. Griffin brought with him was a fixed wing UAV. Such vehicles

can be used for a number of different commercial uses including topographic surveys,

progress monitoring, remote inspections. The UAVs can cut the times for inspections and taking measurements

for many jobs from weeks and even months into just a few hours.

The hardest part of using an Unmanned Serial System is the many regulations set forth by the FAA.

Griffin joked that the FAA mission statement is “We’re not happy until you’re not happy.” The list of FAA

requirements for legal commercial operations include but is not limited to the follows: Obtain a section 333

exemption, Register your aircraft with the FAA, Get a COA (waiver) for each site to fly above 200ft, Observe

Glass “G” airspace (cannot fly over populated areas or within 5 miles of an airport), and fly only in daylight

hours keeping the vehicle within the pilot’s line of sight. The pilot must also have an actual pilot’s license. He

said that the UAV that he brought with him was actually classified in the same category as a Cessna airplane,

and that in order to fly it, he needs to have the same pilot’s license as a Cessna Pilot, but ironically a hot air

balloon pilot’s license is also acceptable. He finished his program by opening the floor to questions.