FAA and Kittyhawk IO Launch New B4UFLY App

Graphic: Business Wire

Kittyhawk the market leader in drone software and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have introduced a new version of B4UFLY, the free mobile app that lets drone operators check the status of airspace prior to flight. Available now for iOS and Android, the app determines what airspace restrictions are in effect at any location in the United States, in real-time.

B4UFLY is a key tool in the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) that empowers recreational, commercial, and government drone operators with the situational awareness to fly safely and responsibly every time. More than 700,000 people have used B4UFLY since its original launch in 2016. B4UFLY is provided through a partnership between the FAA and Kittyhawk at no cost to taxpayers.

The US Senate passes the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018.

The big news this week in the aviation industry from the United States of America came on Wednesday when the US Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018.

To those of us outside of the US, this bill passed relatively unnoticed, without much drama or fanfare, but on the other side of the pond, it will have a big impact on air travel by providing long-term certainty and security for the aviation industry throughout the US. Also, perhaps unusually for these politically divided times, the bill passed with bipartisan support. But what is the act really all about?  Putting it simply, it basically gives the US FAA approval to carry on for the next five years, to continue with all its normal operations as well as a number of other new programmes, improvements and regulations including on seat sizes and critters in the cabin. The bill, which will now be sent to the US President, Donald Trump to approve and sign into law also includes the requirement for the FAA to instigate minimum sizes for aircraft seats and legroom within a year as well as more regulations to prevent airlines from offloading passengers.

Another part of the act deals with animals, which have been making news over the last few years in the US as a wide variety of creatures have been allowed in the aircraft cabins as 'emotional support animals' leading to bites, attacks and various problems. Many airlines have introduced new rules recently to reduce and specify what can be taken onboard as emotional support animals. The act instructs the Transportation Department to set rules for service and emotional support animals including “reasonable measures to ensure pets are not claimed as service animals.” which will help with the uniformity of regulations.  The act also prohibits putting a live animal in overhead luggage racks, although I can only find one case of that actually happening.