Both FAA and European Regulators (EASA) Issue Comprehensive Frameworks for Regulating the Flight Activities of Drones

LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / March 26, 2015 / Monster Arts, Inc. (OTCQB: APPZ) announces recent regulatory developments impacting the use of drones or small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). On February 15, 2015 the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration proposed a framework of regulations that would allow routine use of UAS in today’s aviation system, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate future technological innovations. The following is a quick summary of the proposed rules:

– Offers safety rules for small UAS (under 55 pounds) conducting non-recreational operations.

– Limits flights to daylight and visual-line-of sight operations.

– Addresses height restrictions, operator certification, optional use of a visual observer, aircraft registration and marking, and operational limits.

– Maintains existing prohibition against operating in a careless or reckless manner, and bars an operator from allowing any object to be dropped from the UAS.

– Operators would also be responsible for ensuring an aircraft is safe before flying (perform a preflight inspection that includes checking the communications link between the control station and the UAS), but FAA is not proposing that small UAS comply with current agency airworthiness standards or aircraft certification.

– Includes extensive discussion of the possibility of an additional, more flexible framework for “micro” UAS (under 4.4 pounds).

– Public is able to comment on the proposed regulation for 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register, which can be found at www.regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov).

– See also Press Release DOT and FAA Propose New rules for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, dated February 15, 2015

Nearly a month later, on March 12, 2015 the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) proposed three different categories of regulations for commercial operations of UAS, as summarized below:

– Three categories – open, specific and certified – would be established for the commercial or civil operated UAS.

– Open operation category would not require authorization by an aviation authority, but would be required to have the flight operation contained within defined boundaries, away from airports and people; this category is essentially reserved for “very low risk operations” (e.g., with visual line of sight at an altitude not exceeding approximately 500 feet).

– Specific operation category would require operations authorization by an individual state aviation authority with specific limitations assigned to the operation. 

– With regard to the certified category of operations, EASA is proposing a regulatory framework that the agency calls “quite comparable” to what is done for piloted aircraft.

– Upon acceptance, the framework would render obsolete the current regulatory regime in Europe, which currently assigns EASA responsibility for regulating drones have a maximum takeoff mass of 150 kilograms (330 pounds) or more, and with civil aviation authorities in individual countries responsible for aircraft weighing less.

– See also EASA Proposes Commercial UAS Regulations, by Woodrow Bellamy III, March 13, 2015, Avionics Magazine; EASA Issues Regulatory Approach for Drones in Europe, by Bill Carey, March 13, 2015, AINonline.

Commented Monster Arts CEO Wayne Irving, “What these regulatory initiatives show us is the increasing relevance of drones as means for private and light commercial use… not just as military/governmental tools for achieving foreign policy and national defense objectives. More and more, we should expect to see authorities around the world, at not just the federal, but also at the state, local and regional levels, putting in motion the process for setting rules applicable to UAS operations, outside of the traditional military/governmental settings.”

Irving went on to observe that the more comprehensive and well developed regulatory framework in the European Union is already creating a pro-business benefit for those economies, as drone delivery companies such as Amazon, DHL and Google see these more well defined rules as creating the kind of certainty they need to operate their more advanced, start-of-the-art UAS offerings. “Amazon’s on record telling our government that their approval process for its drone delivery vehicles is simply too slow. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll see delivery drones all over Europe… well before we see the same thing here in the US. Hopefully, our legislators will catch up, because ultimately what I believe is in our public’s best interest is to allow companies like Amazon to design the safest and most high performing products, without having to operate within the confines of an outdated, one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme.” 

Continued Irving, “What IS being ignored, or at least being greatly overshadowed by these great technological advancements and their great potential for enhancing the speed, efficiency and quality of mobile communications and data collection, is what we see people tweeting and commenting about in social media and, as I like to think of it, on the from the ‘peanut gallery/periphery’ … namely, public fears relating to the potential for these information delivery vehicles to invade our privacy, and in this way, imperil and threaten our rights and overall lifestyle as free individuals. Indeed, it is one thing when a drone accidentally crashes near the White House. It is quite another when one intentionally ventures, quite unannounced, into the airspace above John Q. Public’s home residence. Will there be someone or some responsible authority out there who is tracking all these often imperceptible delivery devices and making sure they aren’t being used in ways that threaten our basic way of life?”

PRESS CONTACT:

Jennie S.
Media Relations
Monster Arts, Inc.
(725) 222-UAV1
pr@monsterarts.net

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Any statements contained in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks associated with the management appointment described in this press release, and other risks identified in the filings by Monster Arts, Inc. (APPZ), with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Further information on risks faced by APPZ are detailed in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These filings are or will become available on a website maintained by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov. The information contained in this press release is accurate as of the date indicated. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. Monster Arts does not undertake any obligation to publicly release the any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Included in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove to have been correct. The company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Monster Arts, Inc.

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