FAA News

New Jersey Considers Barring Drone Operation While Drunk

New Jersey lawmakers are moving ahead with legislation that would make it illegal to operate a drone while drunk. The legislation cleared an Assembly committee on Monday and is up for a vote in the full Senate on Thursday. Both …

Leaflets Dropped Over NFL Games Revive Drone Concerns

A Northern California man was cited for flying a drone over two NFL games this weekend and dropping political leaflets over the stadiums, reigniting concerns over remote aircraft at major sports events. Federal and local laws prohibit flying drones near …

Risk of Collision With Planes Increases as Drone Use Grows

The millions of small civilian drones plying the nation’s skies can cause significant damage to airliners and business jets in a midair collision, new research commissioned by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration concluded. While most drones weigh only a few …

Surge in Drone Safety Reports Prompts FAA ‘Emergency’ Action

Reports of safety incidents involving civilian drones have surged to an average of 250 a month, leading to a federal “emergency” action to approve drone flights in restricted areas, according to a government notice seeking new procedures for the craft. …

FAA Drone Panel Can’t Agree on Need for Security Measures

A panel of industry and law enforcement officials couldn’t agree on how civilian drones should be tracked by authorities, adding uncertainty to the push for expanded commercial uses. The advisory committee, established earlier this year by the Federal Aviation Administration, …

Study Finds Small Drones Unlikely to Cause Major Head Injuries

The small, popular drones flooding the commercial market are unlikely to cause severe head injuries if they fall out of the sky and strike people, a new study has concluded. The results are similar to findings earlier this year by …

American Flight Highlights Hazards Posed by Turbulence

At some point during many flights, the captain will calmly announce that there could be some bumps ahead and so passengers must be seated with their seatbelts on. The plane might seem to bobble or bounce a bit, but rarely …

Passengers Warned of Toxic Fumes Onboard Airplanes

The smell of jet fuel is fairly common in the passenger cabin when your plane is preparing to taxi. Far less so is the aroma of dirty socks, rancid cheese, or a wet dog—the typical unpleasant notice that engine oil …

Police Push Tracking as Rogue Drones Hover Over Fire Scenes

At a recent apartment blaze in Oakland, California, a sheriff deputy directing firefighters with a drone-mounted video camera encountered a new hazard: a civilian quad copter that buzzed onto the scene. “It’s happened twice in the past few months,” said …

Confusing Drone Rules Cause Headaches for Businessowners

When Jim Komsa launched his aerial photography business in 2013, using airplanes to shoot photos from the sky, he said there were only a handful of competitors in all of New Jersey. Now, there are dozens. Komsa, the co-owner of …