Drone owners warned to keep their UAVs away from Friday’s inauguration

By Trevor Mogg Published January 18, 2017

inauguration drone ban — AmericanSpirit/123RF

An increase in security in Washington D.C. in recent years means drone flights in its airspace are already severely restricted.

But there’s a good chance that some quadcopter enthusiasts heading to the capital this Friday intent on capturing some aerial footage of Donald Trump’s inauguration are unaware of the rules, or simply hoping they can sneak in a quick flight.

However, the advice is: Leave your drone at home.

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In a message posted online on Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration-supported Know Before You Fly campaign reminded drone users that the city and surrounding areas are already designated no-drone zones. And with security extra tight for The Donald’s big day, there’ll be many more eyes on the skies than usual.

Besides the obvious risk of drones tumbling toward the ground and landing on someone’s head, security services know they could also be used to deliver an unwanted payload close to the president or into the crowd.

“Any person who knowingly or willfully violates the rules concerning operations in this airspace may be subject to certain criminal penalties,” the FAA said in another online message. The agency points out that individuals who fly quadcopters or other types of unmanned aerial vehicles in violation of federal regulations could face fines “of up to $1,414 per violation.”

Meanwhile, companies that break the rules may have to pay “up to $32,140 per violation” if found guilty of charges. Drone operators could also be hit with additional fines if it’s discovered they haven’t registered their flying machine with the FAA.

Know Before You Fly adds that the FAA usually imposes flying restrictions in airspace for presidential visits to other parts of the country, as well as during natural disasters or hazards, such as wildfires. Sporting events with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more, including the upcoming Super Bowl LI at the NRG Stadium in Houston, as well as Major League Baseball games and NASCAR motor speedway events, also trigger flight restrictions for specific periods of time.

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Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
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In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
Tesla last month unveiled the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The vehicle has been promoted as a robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle operated as part of a ride-paying service, such as the one already offered by Alphabet-owned Waymo.
But Tesla’s self-driving technology has remained under the scrutiny of regulators. FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s technology relies on premapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), which might be very costly, but has met the approval of safety regulators.