http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...702040341/1006

Police drone plan draws fire

Palm Bay wants to fly device; FAA, pilot group raise red flags

BY J.D. GALLOP

PALM BAY - -- Police Chief William Berger vows to deploy an unmanned
aerial vehicle despite contentions from the Federal Aviation
Administration and a national pilots' association that his department
must first get federal approval before doing so.

Berger said the $30,000, 8-pound aircraft -- which he likens to a
model plane and would use to aid police on the ground -- does not fall
under FAA regulations. And he said he is prepared to seek assistance
from Brevard County's congressional representatives, if necessary.

....

FAA officials were steadfast in saying Palm Bay's unmanned vehicle
should be grounded until further notice from the federal agency.

"We control the airspace, and we control who can fly what, where,"
said Les Dorr, a spokesman for the federal agency. "Our primary
concern is the safety of the airways. If (the police department)
starts using the unmanned vehicle then they run the risk of being told
'no, they can't do it.' "

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department also ran afoul of FAA rules after
attempting to put its own unmanned vehicle into service last year.
Their unmanned vehicle remains grounded.

But CyberDefense Systems, a St. Petersburg-based company that markets
the Cyberbug said the aircraft -- like a model plane -- flies below
400 feet and would not interfere with flight patterns.

Model planes -- like those used by hobbyists -- have flight and range
restrictions that typically don't interfere with air traffic, company
and FAA officials said.

Bill Edelstein, a licensed helicopter pilot and Melbourne Beach
resident, said he was concerned about the low-flying aircraft's
interaction with helicopters.


http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/...fm?newsId=6287
The FAA's Role: Safety First
The FAA's main concern about UAV operations in civil airspace is
safety. It is critical that these vehicles don't come too close to
aircraft carrying people or compromise the safety of anyone on the
ground.

When the military or a government agency wants to fly a UAV in civil
airspace, the FAA examines the request and issues a Certificate of
Waiver or Authorization (COA), generally based on the following
principles:

The COA authorizes an operator to use defined airspace for a specified
time (up to one year, in some cases) and includes special provisions
unique to each operation. For instance, a COA may include a
requirement to operate only under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

Most, if not all, COAs require coordination with an appropriate air
traffic control facility and require the UAV to have a transponder
able to operate in standard air traffic control mode with automatic
altitude reporting.

To make sure the UAV will not interfere with other aircraft, a ground
observer or an accompanying "chase" aircraft must maintain visual
contact with the UAV.


http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n172/a08.html

Video:
http://www.news14charlotte.com/conte...sp?ArID=114414