The drones are coming

[RiverAux]

In the new FAA authorization bill Congress is ordering the FAA to open up airspace to drones.  From AF Times:

The FAA is also required under the bill to provide military, commercial and privately-owned drones with expanded access to U.S. airspace currently reserved for manned aircraft by Sept. 30, 2015. That means permitting unmanned drones controlled by remote operators on the ground to fly in the same airspace as airliners, cargo planes, business jets and private aircraft.

Currently, the FAA restricts drone use primarily to segregated blocks of military airspace, border patrols and about 300 public agencies and their private partners. Those public agencies are mainly restricted to flying small unmanned aircraft at low altitudes away from airports and urban centers.

Within nine months of the bill's passage, the FAA is required to submit a plan on how to safely provide drones with expanded access.

[Eclipse]

DOT is a cabinet-level department, doesn't that make it an Executive vs. legislative branch control issue?  Does Congress have the authority to tell them what to do?

(I'm honestly asking).

[davidsinn]

DOT is a cabinet-level department, doesn't that make it an Executive vs. legislative branch control issue?  Does Congress have the authority to tell them what to do?

(I'm honestly asking).

Congress makes the laws, the executive is charged with enforcing them. The executive's check on the congress is deciding to not enforce a law. Since the congress holds the purse strings you have a mexican stand off...

[♠SARKID♠]

Nice.  Maybe in a few years we'll be able to start putting the UAVs my squadron is building into use fore ES.

[JeffDG]

DOT is a cabinet-level department, doesn't that make it an Executive vs. legislative branch control issue?  Does Congress have the authority to tell them what to do?

(I'm honestly asking).

Congress makes the laws, the executive is charged with enforcing them. The executive's check on the congress is deciding to not enforce a law. Since the congress holds the purse strings you have a mexican stand off...

Yep...

The entire Department of Transportation, including the office of SecTrans on down, is a creation of Congress.

The FAA merely executes rulemaking powers granted to them by Congress, and Congress can at any time tell them how to execute those powers.

[coudano]

The executive's check on the congress is deciding to not enforce a law.

Wrong.
The executive's check on the Congress is to veto bills submitted to it for enactment.

The executive failing, or refusing, to enforce laws on the books (which it also, by default, signed into effect) is an unconstiutional dereliction of duty, not a legitimate check and balance.

[JeffDG]

The executive's check on the congress is deciding to not enforce a law.

Wrong.
The executive's check on the Congress is to veto bills submitted to it for enactment.

The executive failing, or refusing, to enforce laws on the books (which it also, by default, signed into effect) is an unconstiutional dereliction of duty, not a legitimate check and balance.

Correct...

Article II, Section 3:
He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

It is the job of the President to carry out all laws, not just the ones he agrees with.

[davidsinn]

The executive's check on the congress is deciding to not enforce a law.

Wrong.
The executive's check on the Congress is to veto bills submitted to it for enactment.

The executive failing, or refusing, to enforce laws on the books (which it also, by default, signed into effect) is an unconstiutional dereliction of duty, not a legitimate check and balance.

Correct...

Article II, Section 3:
He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

It is the job of the President to carry out all laws, not just the ones he agrees with.

Legitimate or not, it's what happens. See: border security, "fast and furious," black panther voter intimidation, etc. Undoubtly you can find examples from every president back to Washington, but you get the point.

[scooter]

Just attended a briefing by the guy who was in charge of an AF Predator program. Excellent briefing, most informative. He made the point that the Predator type aircraft are not drones or UAVs. They are remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flown by real pilots, remotely.

[davidsinn]

Just attended a briefing by the guy who was in charge of an AF Predator program. Excellent briefing, most informative. He made the point that the Predator type aircraft are not drones or UAVs. They are remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flown by real pilots, remotely.

And that's different from a UAV how? Or an RC model for that matter?

[lordmonar]

Just attended a briefing by the guy who was in charge of an AF Predator program. Excellent briefing, most informative. He made the point that the Predator type aircraft are not drones or UAVs. They are remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flown by real pilots, remotely.

And that's different from a UAV how? Or an RC model for that matter?

Politics.   

In the RPA world.......
RPA=Remote PILOTED Aircraft....it is air plane and there is a pilot.
Drone=is a TARGET or a fairly stupid aircraft (i.e. no AI, a pre programed flight profile, no or little operator input)
UAV=is the old term....they don't like the term "unmanned" because that implies no one is controlling it....to differentiate it from an AUTONOMOUS vehilce.  The also don't like the term "aerial vehicle"  It is an aircraft [darn] it!

NEVER EVER EVER mention "microsoft flight sim" or "RC models" or "video game" near a die heard RPA pilot (NOT OPERATOR!) or you will get them all riled up!

For the average joe/reporter on the street there is little or no difference....but the RPA guys make a big deal about.

[scooter]

Agree. The RPA pilots can launch missiles and bring great harm to the bad guys. I you have someone on the ground in Afghanistan or Iraq (like me), these guys (the flight crew of 3) are watching out for them and in a lot of cases help the good guys in the fight. They are good at what they do and earned some respect/thanks. Just ask a grunt.

[Eclipse]

On the current evolving line, the last fighter pilots have already been born, and even the Remote Pilots should be hearing footsteps, because by the time those last fight pilots take the cockpit, the UAV's will likely be operated fully autonomous
once their target has been entered, etc.

I, for one, welcome our aircraft overlords.

[starshippe]

   rome kept its armies north of the rubicon river for a reason. we have now crossed that river, southbound, with yet another weapons system.

   i wonder how many cap is going to buy. i have to admit, my mind gets pretty wrapped up in imagining what could be done on an elt search from the comfort of my couch, joystick in hand.
   
   the rpv gps info would automatically be fed into streetmap and aviation software. the remote becker indication would occupy a corner of my laptop screen. i presume these machines can preflight themselves and request fuel.

   i would be casually conversing with the ground team on my laptop's headset, using some form of internet echolink system to a local radio, then through a repeater mounted in the rpv. i could use the video link to check for a route of entry, and then give them turn by turn directions.

   well, there may not be much to worry about. there were only thirty thousand of these authorized. how long will it be before we see one for sale on ebay? i wonder if they will carry a 406 epirb. my mind wanders on.....

regards,
bill

[Flying Pig]

My mind gets wrapped up in launching in my TC206H at sunrise to head up to the Sierra to fly the canyons searching for a lost hiker.  My pilot side window open, arm hanging out, banking as my Observer sees various object that need to be inspected. 

I further think to strapping on an MD500E, a Jet Ranger or a Huey, and flying recon missions, or an LE patrol mission with the doors off, knees in the breeze with bugs stuck in my teeth.  Heading into the LZ to hot fuel, or work a ground crew assisting in the hot fuel in a SAR mission at 10,000ft in the mountains.  I guess we all have different ideas of how to get the job done!

[PHall]

On the current evolving line, the last fighter pilots have already been born, and even the Remote Pilots should be hearing footsteps, because by the time those last fight pilots take the cockpit, the UAV's will likely be operated fully autonomous
once their target has been entered, etc.

I, for one, welcome our aircraft overlords.

That's what the folks at General Atomics would like for you to believe.

AI is not advanced enough to replace humans in the cockpit, yet. We're still several major breakthoughs away.

But, the technology does keep advancing at a somewhat uneven rate.

As does the cost...