Drones and National Security: The Regulatory Landscape
Jones Day Talks: Developments in Germany's Wind Power Regulations
In Long Lake Township v. Maxon, the Michigan Supreme Court had the opportunity to critically consider the extent to which property owners have an inherent right to prevent unwanted drone incursions into the airspace...more
Sports fans may recall a bizarre incident in November 2023 during the Monday Night Football Ravens-Bengals matchup- a small drone made an unexpected appearance overhead at the M&T Bank Stadium, causing chaos and two delays of...more
Owners and buyers of commercial buildings are increasingly using drones also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), to inspect roofs and other exterior elements of buildings. In addition to making it easier to access the...more
Every year, technology is used in new and inventive ways, and drone holiday light shows seem to be making their way into some cities’ and towns’ holiday traditions....more
Over recent years, the consumer and commercial market for drones has seen significant growth, and this growth will only continue. Credit Suisse predicts that the drone market will increase to $43 billion by 2024....more
When it comes time to apply the Constitution, our favorite 233-year-old document, to the new technology du jour, the process is likely to be hairy, and the end result is likely to raise eyebrows. Two recent court decisions...more
More than 1,000,000 drones have been registered. The increasing use of drones by hobbyists means more and more concerned citizens and NGOs have the ability to obtain evidence of environmental violations. But what can be done...more
Recent hearings on Capitol Hill highlight issues requiring attention before the drone industry can fully realize its economic value. The value of the commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) industry has grown to...more
New model legislation introduced by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (Uniform Law Commission) seeks to give property owners the right to the airspace above their property from 200 feet and below....more
Last week, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Drone Advisory Committee (Committee) to enforce the open government obligations of the Committee....more
On January 25, 2018, oral arguments were heard in Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) v. the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) case by a D.C. Circuit panel. The court questioned EPIC’s standing to contest the...more
Last week, the New Jersey state assembly passed legislation, Assembly Bill 520 (the Bill), that provides for fines and prison terms for individuals convicted of unsafe and/or prohibited unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone)...more
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (“FAA’s”) authority to institute airspace restrictions derives from 14 CFR § 99.7, “Special Security Instructions,” which is intended to address national security concerns from the...more
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently published notice in the Federal Register seeking permission to quicken authorizations for Part 107 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations in restricted areas. The FAA...more
In a previous post, we wrote about drones (which are more formally referred to as “unmanned aircraft systems” or UAS), as well as the nascent federal and state statutory and regulatory. Since our last article, drone use –...more
Florida and Oregon have both recently changed their Unmanned Aircraft Systems “UAS” (or “drone”) regulations, joining the vast majority of states looking to protect their residents through the use of their police power. ...more
On July 1, 2017, a new law in the State of Florida became effective in order to keep “local governments from regulating drone and model aircraft operations” in the State, while in turn, “protecting those who fly safely and...more
Yet another piece of drone legislation is in circulation; the Safe DRONE Act of 2017 was recently introduced by U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner, John Hoeven, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Dean Heller. ...more
We previously wrote about the Drone Federalism Act introduced earlier this month, and now, another bill is seeking to regulate drones at the local level. The Drone Innovation Act, H.R. 2930, introduced by Jason Lewis of...more
According to recent studies and statistics, unmanned aerial systems (or drones) promise to have the most dynamic growth of any sector in the aerospace industry. With the ease of airspace regulations and operational...more
Over the past decade, since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first permitted the use of drones for commercial and hobbyist purposes, after the 2012 directive of Congress for the FAA to come up with a “comprehensive...more
The town of Garfield, New Jersey has introduced new regulations related to hobbyist drone operation—or better yet, the non-operation of drones above residences other than your own, commercial zones, roadways, government or...more
The Drone Federalism Act of 2017, introduced by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein, Mike Lee, Richard Blumenthal, and Tom Cotton, seeks to “establish a process for federal, state, local and tribal governments to work together to...more
Part 107, the rule broadly authorizing commercial UAS (drone) operations, was an important step forward for the commercial UAS industry. However, Part 107 limited operations in important ways. One significant limitation...more
By 2020, it is estimated that 7 million drones will be flying around the country delivering packages, taking photos, inspecting infrastructure or conducting search and rescue missions. However, before that happens, we will...more