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Search-and-rescue drone mission, grounded by FAA, sues for right to fly
A Texas volunteer search-and-rescue outfit grounded by federal regulators is fighting back, suing the government that maintains that its humanitarian efforts are illegal. Federal Aviation Administration officials in February grounded Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team, which deploys five-pound styrofoam drones to find the missing—all for free. "There is no legal basis for the FAA to prohibit the operation of model aircraft for volunteer search-and-rescue activities,"… (arstechnica.com) Altro...
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Another fine example of government-gone-wild. Once again common sense is no where to be found in the minds of bureaucrats. Government agencies such as the FAA will cast a net over everything they can simply for the power to regulate and collect fees. This perpetuates their bureaucratic existence. In this case they are barking up an empty tree and just hampering an organization that actually helps people and benefits society which they can't understand.
The most amazing statement in this article is "Approval ....in a matter of hours." I have been a pilot, mechanic, and aero engineer for nearly 50 years, and have NEVER seen the FAA do ANYTHING in a matter of hours. Except ATC, those guys are usually pretty responsive.
Let me guess. This outfit gets results with styrofoam machines? No zillion dollars procurement contracts, ergo no complex rules, regulations and directives, no lawyers, lobbyists, consultants fees. Naaah, too cheap, too simple, too uncomplicated...
An fight that will never go through. The FAA's word has always been final.
The FAA has been losing non-commercial drone flight cases lately. This one will likely be another loss for the FAA.
They don't have a statutory nor regulatory basis to give them any authority whatsoever in these cases. That's why they've been losing them. Sounds like they will have to produce regulations, if they want to enforce them.
Sometimes there is justice that wins over bureaucracy.
They don't have a statutory nor regulatory basis to give them any authority whatsoever in these cases. That's why they've been losing them. Sounds like they will have to produce regulations, if they want to enforce them.
Sometimes there is justice that wins over bureaucracy.
