Up and Soaring - UAS

Forming a UAS Tech Team
Granite State Manufacturing (GSM) and VT Group have entered into a strategic partnership to bring unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology to commercial, civil, and government markets worldwide.

GSM specializes in solving diverse manufacturing challenges across a wide spectrum of customers and products. The company’s experience spans across both commercial and government applications.

During the past three years, VT Group has expanded its focus to provide mission-critical unmanned services and support worldwide. www.vt-group.com; www.gsmai.com

Study Finds Enormous Potential for Ohio
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) unveiled new economic data, which finds that the unmanned aircraft industry is poised to create 1,844 new jobs in Ohio the first three years following the integration.

The study finds:

• In the first three years following integration, the total economic impact to Ohio is projected to surpass $359 million, cumulating in more than $2.15 billion in economic impact by 2025.
• The study projects integration will lead to 103,776 new jobs nationally by 2025. Future events – such as the establishment of FAA Test Sites – will ultimately determine where many of these new jobs will flow.
• Additional economic benefit will be seen through tax revenue to Ohio, which will total more than $14.6 million, in the first decade following the integration. www.auvsi.org/Home/

Legislation Prevents UAS’ from Spying
Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, has introduced legislation setting standards and safeguards to protect the privacy of individuals from the expanded use of UAS’.

The bill will require privacy protection provisions relating to data collection and minimization, disclosure, warrant requirements for law enforcement, and enforcement measures in the licensing and operation of UAS’.

The Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act (DAPTA) would amend the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act.

A copy of the legislation can be viewed here: http://1.usa.gov/1175GHo.

Major Tenets of the Legislation Include:

• FAA may not issue drone licenses unless the application includes a data collection statement, explaining who will operate the drone, where the drone will be flown, what kind of data will be collected, how that data will be used, whether the information will be sold to third parties, and the period for which the information will be retained.
• Law enforcement agencies and their contractors and subcontractors must include an additional data minimization statement that explains how they will minimize the collection and retention of data unrelated to the investigation of a crime.
• Any surveillance by law enforcement agencies will require a warrant or extreme exigent circumstances.
• The FAA must create a publicly available website that lists all approved licenses and includes the data collection and data minimization statements, any data security breaches suffered by a licensee, and the times and locations of drone flights.