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Industry news
Draft "drone" regulations to be tabled by early September 2014
by Clare van Zwieten, managing editor, EE Publishers
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) intends tabling the draft regulations on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) before the Civil Aviation Regulations Committee (CARCom) on 3 September 2014.
Click here for the full article and to comment
This was revealed at a UAS regulations making workshop on 14 and 15 August 2014, by the SACAA's General Manager for Aircraft Safety, Mpho Lebogo, who stated that the pace of putting together the regulations has been accelerated and that the final regulations will be in place by March 2015. If approved by CARCom, the regulations will be published in the Government Gazette and public comments can be submitted during the requisite 30-day period.
This news will come as a relief to South African UAS operators who have been frustrated in their efforts to use, sell and/or manufacture UAS technologies. This frustration is not unique to South Africa. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and civilian aviation regulators worldwide have been grappling for some time now with the issue of developing an appropriate regulatory framework to ensure the safe, secure and seamless integration of UAS into the traditional aviation sector. Currently there are no standards and recommended practices governing certification, personnel and operator licensing anywhere in the world.
Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), hailed as a forward thinker in UAS circles, is facing increasing pressure to rethink its decision not to regulate operators flying UAS weighing less than 2 kg following several close calls between UAS and manned aviation flights, as well as an increasing number of privacy complaints. The Australian Certified UAV Operators Association (ACUO) has also called on CASA to adopt a harder line in order to combat the growing problem of illegal unmanned aircraft operations in Australia
Developing a regulatory framework is a complex progress and it will be difficult to satisfy the requirements of all players in this sector whether surveyors, mining companies, security service providers, farmers, film makers, photographers and so on. The situation is further complicated by the fact that UAS are currently available to any South African who can buy or build one, and that UAS technology is continually evolving. There is also great variety in the size of UAS - the Black Hornet weighs a mere 18 g while the Molynx weighs 2000 kg.
At the UAS regulatory workshop representatives from the SACAA advised that they have been working with the ICAO working group to develop global technical standards and guidance material, and have recently accelerated their efforts to develop a UAS regulatory framework. The 120 industry participants were presented with some of the ideas that will be incorporated into the draft regulations, and were asked to provide input on the current approach.
Albert Msithini, SACAA's Manager for Unmanned Aerial Systems, explained that UAS is an umbrella term encompassing remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), autonomous aircraft, and semi-autonomous aircraft. He added that the industry preferred not to use the word "drone" due to its military connotations. Msithini stated that phase one of the regulatory process will deal with RPAS. It was also explained that RPAS with automated features are not necessarily considered autonomous. The ICAO defines an autonomous craft as an unmanned aircraft that does not allow pilot intervention in the management of the flight ... (more)
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Invitation
Test & Measurement 2014
Conference and Workshop
On behalf of the National Laboratory Association of South Africa, you are cordially invited to attend, exhibit and participate at: Test & Measurement 2014 Conference and Workshop
DATE: 29 September - 1 October 2014 TIME: 08h00 to 17h00 VENUE: Misty Hills Hotel & Conference Center, Muldersdrift ( click here for map) Click here to download the full programme Click here for registration and further details Register by the close of business on 10 September 2014 and stand a chance of winning an iPad Mini. The draw will take place at the Conference and those eligible must be in attendance when the draw is made.For those still seeking a platform to improve their knowledge in the field of Test & Measurement, and at the same time network with both international and local experts in the fields of measurement and laboratory sciences, then this is the event that you should consider attending. Speaker highlights - Alan Steele, National Research Council, Canada
- Tim Osborne, NCSLI, USA
- Dr. Wolfram Bremser, BAM, Germany
- Ingrid Flemming, IFMQS, Australia
- Plus local experts, in forensic sciences, stack emission monitoring, water & food, and calibration
Topical and challenging issues will be presented with ample opportunity to ask questions and have discussion. In addition to the wide diversity of papers that will be presented, potential attendees should note that there will be dedicated streams in the following areas: - Water testing
- Reference material workshop
- Calibration
- Civils materials testing
- Stack emission testing
Click here to download the full programme Click here for registration and further details For further information contacy:
National Laboratory Association - South Africa
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