This week in Drone News, COAs now allow for limited training under the COA, Firefighting drone patent works out the number of drones required for fires, UAS pilots win in Ottowa County MI, and changes to NOTAMs.
00:00 Introduction
00:44 A change to COAs
02:29 Fire Fighting Drones
04:17 Win for sUAS operators in Ottawa County MI
05:38 NOTAM Change
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The FAA has added language that now allows for training under a Certificate of Authorization.
This allows for limited training for State, local and tribal agencies under their COA.
The training is limited to an agency's own aircraft, crews, missions that meet the governmental function requirement. Training of another entity’s crews or on non-owned aircraft is not a PAO function.
The author of a 2017 patent on how to use drones to fight wildfires has released a new paper.
This new paper details how many drones it would take to fight a fire-dependent on the fire’s size, winds, fuel, humidity, and fuel moisture content. The patent describes multiple aircraft being used as short-range tankers to drop 1-13 gallons of water on the fire.
The paper describes how about 75 linear meters (246 feet) of the fire’s edge could be extinguished with 120 drones each carrying 20 liters/5 gallons each, or 80 drones carrying 30 liters/8 gallons each.
sUAS operators got a win this week in Ottawa County MI.
A county regulation requiring every sUAS flight to have a permit from the county was struck down.
According to the 15-page opinion, the state preemption law allows drone pilots to fly as long as they are compliant with federal law and the state law prohibits local governments from enacting any drone laws.
NOTAM now stands for Notice to Air Missions
This change is effective Dec. 2, 2021