This is an annotated bibliography of sources I have found pertaining to my research question:
How can we effectively integrate “drones” into the airspace?
As of March 6, all these sources were found prior to in-depth research. See this google drive document for the most up-to-date and better formatted version.
Annotated Bibliography
“AMA Government Relations Blog.” Web log post. AMA Government Relations Blog. AMA, 8 Mar. 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. This is just a short blog post detailing an interview with FAA Deputy Director John McGraw about new regulations for UAS. The post is interesting, but the comments also reveal public opinion on the issue. Many commenters offer suggestions for new regulations. This shows the position of the modelers more than the general public, as it is unlikely that people with no stake in the hobby would be active on this page.
Ayoub, Ufairah, and Tauseef Ahmed. “Portrayal of Pakistan-US Relationship with Reference to Drone Strikes on Waziristan in the Editorials of Dawn and Nation: A Comparative Study.” Academic Research International 4.6 (2013): 56-64. In the section titled “Drones Strikes in Waziristan” there are some interesting figures about public opinions of drones. I don’t know if you’re planning on talking about specific wars in your paper, but I think you could find a lot of good information about the use of drones in the US-Pakistan relationship in terms of media portrayal and public opinion.
“The Commercial Drone Pilot Who Ruined the FAA’s 2014 Has Settled His Case.” Motherboard. VICE, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. This article oriented towards the general public describes the conclusion of the Pirker v FAA case. It also delves into the effects this case have had on the unmanned aircraft industry. This will be useful as clarifying source briefly tell the story of the development of new legislation and the conclusion of Pirker’s case. I may end up citing sections of this article as the language is clear and the ideas well simplified.
FAA. News. FAA Offers Guidance to Model Aircraft Operators. Federal Aviation Administration. FAA, 23 June 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. This press release announces the FAA’s intent to reaffirm the regulations established by congress in 2012 FAA Modernization Reform Act Section 336. The release also highlights the FAA’s intent to enforce these regulations and educate law enforcement programs about the rules.
FAA. “Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Federal Aviation Administration, 5 Mar. 2015. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. This is the FAA’s page concerning the operation of unmanned aircraft. It contains links to guidelines and regulations for recreational, private commercial, and public commercial unmanned. These rules are explained in simple terms as to be accessible. This page will be useful as a quick reference to the rules pertaining to different groups of unmanned aircraft without digging through excessive legal documentation.
FAA v. Pirker. Settlement. 22 Jan. 2015. Team-Blacksheep. Team Black Sheep, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. This document published by the court and posted by Team Black Sheep describes the conclusion of the FAA v. Pirker case. It outlines the fine and the reasoning. Below, the initial indictment is attached. This is useful because we can see exactly what charges were pressed against Pirker, and resolutions that were found several years and many sessions later. This will be important in explaining the conclusions of the Pirker case.
FliteTest. “Thread: FAA Can Make All Model Aircraft Flights Illegal, Federal Court Rules.” Flite Test Forum. Flitetest, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. This a forum post and thread about the federal court’s ruling on the Raphael Pirker v FAA case. The NTSB concluded that Pirker’s aircraft would be subject to the same regulations as full scale aircraft and that he would be fined accordingly for unsafe flying. This source is useful because it shows the opinions of many people who are active in the hobby both about Pirker’s actions and the NTSB’s decision. It also shows interpretations of what this result means for the future of model aviation.
The House of Representatives, and The Senate. “FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012’.” Public Law 112–95 336 (2012): 67-68. FAA. FAA, 14 Feb. 2012. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 pertains to model aircraft. It essentially reiterates the rules established in 1981 by the FAA Circular Advisory AC 91-57. This reiteration shows that the laws are being considered, and that Congress believes it is time to update the regulations in accordance with technological advancements.
Nicas, Jack. “Why Some Drone Makers Hate the Word ‘Drone’ and Want to Change It.” The Wall Street Journal. WSJ, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. This article discusses the word drone. It mentions that many manufacturers of UASs are pushing for different vocabulary and explains the negative connotations of the word drone. It also mentions several alternative terms. The author is slightly sarcastic and stubborn in that he simply refers to the devices as drones anyway, regardless of the wishes of the UAS operators. The word drone is certainly controversial and in change, so this article will prove useful in analyzing its effects.
Schmidt, Michael S., and Michael D. Shear. “A Drone, Too Small for Radar to Detect, Rattles the White House.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. This NYTimes article describes the DJI Phantom crash on the White House lawn and details the resulting histeria. It will be useful as an example of the potential trouble that can be caused by this technology as well as the media blowing up less-than-dangerous events.
Schulman, Brendan. “Brendan Schulman Interview.” Audio blog post.Flitetest. Flitetest, 18 July 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. This is an interview of Brendan Schulman conducted by the popular RC youtube channel and company, Flitetest. Schulman was the defense lawyer in the Pirker case, and has a long history defending model aviation in courts. Pirker himself is also an avid model pilot. This is useful because it allows me to understand Schulman’s intentions and his strategies to ensure the prolonged survival of the hobby. I can certainly quote sections of this podcast.
Singer, Peter W. “Do Drones Undermine Democracy?.” The New York Times (2012). I thought this article might be helpful when you are you looking at public opinion of drones. Singer, although he says he supports the use of drones in a war, criticizes and examines how this technology has changed the way we see/wage war. I think Congress, as well as the general public has not really caught up to the technology. Or maybe it is the fact that Congress is out of the loop that makes the public uncomfortable.
United States. FAA. Air Traffic Service. Advisory Circular: Model Aircraft Operating Standards. By R.J. V. Vuren. Washington: FAA, 1981. FAA Document Library. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. This advisory released in 1981 by the FAA details proper usage of model aircraft. It suggests all the same guidelines currently upheld by the AMA. The advisory begins with “…encourages voluntary compliance with…” suggesting that these regulations might not be set in stone. It shows the flexibility of existing regulation pertaining to model aircraft, and its age highlights the need for new regulation.
“Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Mar. 2015. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. The wikipedia article on UAVs (drones) will be useful for discussing the history of drones and their relationship with governments and people. The history section describes the first uses of the word “drone” as well as the growth of the industry. It also has hundreds of links to other primary sources at the bottom which I can explore at a later date.
Whitlock, Craig. “Near-collisions between Drones, Airliners Surge, New FAA Reports Show.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. Whitlock outlines 25 reported incidents of near collisions between unmanned aircraft and manned aircraft at altitudes ranging from 0 to 4000 feet since June 2014. The article also discusses the consequences of the uptick in near collisions, as well as other incentives for new regulations pertaining to UAVs.
Sources Ayoub and Singer contributed by Natalie Tereschenko.