North Adams Airport Commission Talks Drone Policy
 The Airport Commission is developing rules of use for unmanned aircraft, such as the popular drones, because operators cannot use them within 5 miles of the airport - which means the city and Williamstown. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission has created a subcommittee to determine a procedure to authorize unmanned aircraft to fly in the city.
After multiple complaints from property owners of drones flying near their homes, the Airport Commission decided to look into what actual guidelines there are to flying unmanned aircraft.
Commissioner Trevor Gilman said according to current regulations in Section 336 of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization Reform Act of 2012, anyone who wants to fly an unmanned aircraft, such as a drone, remote control plane or helicopter, or a quadcopter, within five miles of an airport must notify the airport so they do not interfere with manned planes.
"If you look at a 5-mile range it covers the entire town of Williamstown, the entire city of North Adams, all the way past Specialty Minerals, and up into Pownal," Gilman said. "So it's a big circle and anyone in the area is basically in our 5-mile area."
Gilman said some people call for permission and he grants it. He said he felt this should be a job for the airport manager and there should be a procedure.
Gilman added that he thinks most people don't know that they can't fly without touching base with the airport.
"I don't think they are trying to get around the rules," he said. "I think they just don't know what the rules are."
Gilman said the FAA has more rules for these unmanned aircrafts.
He said the aircraft can only be flown strictly for hobby and recreational use, and cannot be more than 55 pounds unless certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test and operation safety program through by a community-based organization.
Gilman said unmanned aircraft owners must operate in accordance with a national community-based organization, which has its own set of safety rules that are often more strict than what the FAA outlines. He suggested that the commission may want to make membership of a national organization a requirement to fly in the 5-mile range.
Gilman added that unmanned aircraft cannot interfere with manned aircraft.
"Manned aircraft obviously have the right of way and people need to know the space in which they are operating so that they don't interfere with any manned aircraft," he said.
Gilman noted that the FAA administrator's interpretation of the rules is that an unmanned aircraft must follow the same rules as a manned aircraft. This means hobbyists must pay attention to minimum altitudes and minimum speeds.
He said it is illegal to fly less than 500 feet within range of people or private property without permission.
"Flying over the parade or a SteepleCats game or something like that where there is a lot of people by the FAA interpretation is not legal," Gilman said.
Gilman added many national organizations say unmanned aircraft cannot go above 400 feet.
The FAA says aircraft cannot go below 1,000 feet over congested areas, cannot go below 500 feet in uncongested areas, and can only touch the surface in open fields or water.
Commercial use is prohibited unless there is proper certification.
Until a procedure can be developed, there will be no approvals of flight within the 5-mile range.
Gilman said the subcommittee will have a procedure by tthe next meeting that the commission can discuss and vote on.
Tags: airport commission, drones,
