Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, are increasingly being used for a variety of purposes, from recreational activities to critical infrastructure monitoring and emergency medical transportation. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes a ground controller and a communications system with the UAV. UAVs can be remotely piloted by a human operator, such as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or with varying degrees of autonomy, such as autopilot assistance, to fully autonomous aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is collaborating with industry and communities to advance drone operations and integrate them into the national airspace.
Whether you're flying for fun or work, there are rules, resources, and tools to help you fly safely. In terms of remote sensing, UAS are very similar to piloted aircraft used for digital aerial imagery acquisition. Using UAS for these purposes has advantages and limitations. UAS offer great potential for grassland remote sensing due to low flight heights, resulting in high-resolution imaging and lower imaging costs compared to piloted aircraft.
However, there are current limitations including initial acquisition costs for the UAS, crew training requirements, limited availability of high-quality, lightweight sensors, and FAA regulations for operating a UAS in national airspace. Malicious use of UAVs has led to the development of counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) technologies. The Department of Defense has issued a policy memorandum entitled Guide to Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the U. S., which sets forth this policy direction.
There are no internationally recognized airworthiness licensing or certification systems for UAS operators outside segregated airspace, only an experimental commitment to the ATM system. Unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly being regulated by the civil aviation authorities of each country. The classification of UAV military unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is based on weight, maximum altitude and speed of the UAV component. Advice on the application of federal laws to the acquisition and use of technology to detect and mitigate unmanned aircraft systems is also available.
The opportunities and challenges posed by unmanned aircraft systems for public safety and achieving law enforcement and homeland security goals must be taken into account when considering their use. UAVs hold great promise for grassland remote sensing due to low flight heights, resulting in high-resolution imaging and lower imaging costs compared to piloted aircraft. However, there are current limitations including initial acquisition costs for the UAS, crew training requirements, limited availability of high-quality, lightweight sensors, and FAA regulations for operating a UAS in national airspace.
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