How Part 107 Changes UAS Operations at Oregon State

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Corvallis, Oregon, July 25, 2016 – In late June, 2016, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration announced its new rules regarding the commercial use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAS). The new rules lowered the barrier to entry for people looking to use drones for commercial purposes by offering a new UAS pilot’s certification. The Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) allows pilots to operate their UAS in uncontrolled airspace with few restrictions. Additionally, pilots may operate in controlled airspace by petitioning an amendment with the FAA, much like the old 333 Exemption process. Unlike the old system, Part 107 does not require pilots to have any level of pilot training. Instead, the pilot must pass an FAA-proctored exam designed to test pilot knowledge of UAS safety, legality, and manned aviation. The first tests will begin when Part 107 takes effect on August 29th.

Research conducted using OSU’s aircraft is not classified as commercial use. Research is considered public use by the FAA, therefor Part 107 does not apply to research work. The important takeaway from this is that researchers will still need to operate under OSU’s COAs to fly. However, Part 107 opens up the option to use a registered aircraft for commercial purposes such as recording promotional material. The FAA will allow public aircraft to act as commercial aircraft at the discretion of the Pilot in Command (PIC).

 

For more information and a summary of Part 107 visit this link: https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Part_107_Summary.pdf

 

OSU Begins Drone Training in Partnership with Drone Complier Enterprise

Matt Gillins (left) of the College of Civil and Construction Engineering and John Rohrer (right) from Drone Complier fly the SenseFly Albris during flight testing.

Corvallis, Oregon, July 13, 2016  — In May, 2016 the FAA granted Oregon State University a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to fly drones for research purposes. Within the COA the FAA outlined the rules for researchers flying drones, along with monthly reporting requirements for the University. With almost 40 registered drones and 50 identified pilots, OSU met the challenge of managing its flight operations by partnering with local business. Drone Complier Enterprise, a local drone compliance and business management start-up based in Corvallis, OR, agreed to work with OSU to meet the rising need for both flight management and training.

Check out Drone Complier here: www.dronecomplier.com

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Students were trained in using the Drone Complier mobile app to manage their pre-flight and post-flight checklists, flight time logging, and maintenance reporting.

Drone Complier held its “alpha” class of 7 faculty  from various departments around campus in late June. Oregon Department of Aviation Director Mitch Swecker was also present to see the OSU training program in action. The initial group was trained in safe and legal drone operations, the basics of flight, and given an introduction in using the Drone Complier software to manage their flight operations. The class was encouraged to provide feedback on the course, which was then used to finalize the curriculum. After two days of training each student was given an in-flight examination that tested their proficiency behind the sticks before being granted their “wings” and the ability to fly under OSU’s COA.

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Success! Cara Walter (left) gets her wings.

Training will be available to interested faculty and staff starting August 1st. The final course will focus on scenario-based training and will last 3 days with flight testing possibly leading into a 4th. Students are required to have a total of 5 hours of flight time logged (including simulator time) before attending a training session. If you are a staff member interested in going through the class please contact Mark Peters in the research office to sign up.

 

 

First Ever National Drone Race Qualifying Event Will Launch in Bend July 16th

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A student “rides along” with a flying drone using video goggles

Corvallis, Oregon, July 7, 2016  — The Pacific Northwest Drone National Qualifier race will be presented on July 16th at Camp Fraley in Bend, Oregon as a part of International Drone Racing Association (IDRA), the leading global organization in first-person-view drone racing. Local Oregon startup Drone Complier is the presenting sponsor of the event, made possible by the dedicated efforts and generous support of the Roswell Flight Test Crew, the Cascade Chapter of AUVSI, Drone Eclipse, Quadrysteria, and SOAR Oregon – the statewide non-profit dedicated to the emerging drone industry.

 

This is the first ever National Qualifying event in the Pacific Northwest. Sixty pilots will travel from points near and far to compete for the top five spots, allowing them to advance to Nationals in New York City in August. Drone racing is enjoying a massive rise in popularity and poised to become the next behemoth racing sport alongside NASCAR and Formula 1.

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Pictured here: Two quads owned by OSU student Zachary Noble. One of these aircraft will compete in the event Saturday.

The event in Bend is free and will be a family friendly spectacle. Attendees are allowed and encouraged to bring chairs, shade, and picnic gear as the race course is on an expansive large field in beautiful Central Oregon. Doors open at 8am for competitors and set-up, with the races commencing at 10am. Pilots will race in twenty heats on a winding, one kilometer-long track with gates and flags. Those who complete the course without missing a gate and the fastest times will advance.

 

ESPN will cover the 2016 U.S. National Drone Racing Championships as the coveted title of fastest drone pilot in the United States will be awarded. The finals will take place on Governors Island, New York City, August 5th-7th, offering jaw-dropping views of both lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The 2016 U.S. National Drone Racing Championships and the 2016 World Drone Racing Championships in October will be streamed live in full on ESPN3, and presented soon after as a one hour special.

 

About IDRA

The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) is the preeminent, global drone racing & extreme rotor sports entertainment company. With over 35 participating countries, IDRA will produce the inaugural 2016 World Drone Racing Championships, officially crowning the first world champion. With groundbreaking drone technology, racecourse design, and advancing safety standards, IDRA welcomes innovation and seeks to raise public awareness of the sport. For more information, visit http://dronenationals.com.

 

Contact

http://droneracingnw.com

Brian Whiteside,  (971) 237-9698

brian@complierenterprise.com

 

Sponsors

Drone Complier

Drone Eclipse

Roswell Flight Test Crew

Quadrysteria

AUVSI Cascade Chapter

SOAR Oregon