Hidden in plain sight

Hidden in plane site

I just read where on a web-site that posts UAS news and that a Drone school can’t fly. I know there are UAS operations going on all over the place, every day. So all I did was look up on the FAA site to see if I could find a list of authorized COAs and sure enough it is posted. Now the FAA is adamant about “No commercial unmanned operations” until they say so and I am not going to divulge the processes operators are able to get paid to fly their UAS but it seems pretty easy when you follow protocols that other have to get authorization. I am not going to spell out how you can get away with UAS operation via a non-for profit. I am going to explain how and who can operate, government entities, police, fire departments, US Forestry, USDA, DOT and branches of the armed services. Colleges and universities used to be able to get COAs but they were being sponsored by companies and that was in direct conflict with the FAAs ban on commercial unmanned operations. Now if the college or university can get the Department of Forestry, the local police or fire department, the USDA or a branch of the armed services to sponsor their COA, they can fly. It would seem that this would be easy for member of the ROTC to get one. That way the military would have experienced UAV pilots coming into the officer ranks. Then they could fly for all kinds of other research applications.

What I have noticed is that UAS operators who have permission either from the property owner requesting UAS services or municipalities who have control over the areas where UAS services are requested, don’t have any problems getting authorization to fly. It is possible for a municipality to need research that a college or university could conduct for them. This is not circumventing the FAA, it is just using the resources available to move the ball forward.