Aviation Blog

November 16, 2016 | Pilot Law

FAA Notice of Proposed Certificate Action?

If you are under investigation by the FAA or otherwise involved in an FAA enforcement action, you may be wondering: “what is a FAA Notice of Proposed Certificate Action?” Quite simply, the FAA Notice of Proposed Certificate Action is the document which could ultimately become the complaint in an action to either suspend or revoke […]

May 13, 2016 | Pilot Law

Ambiguities in Fitness For Duty Requirements of 14 C.F.R. § 117.5

Have you ever been in a quandary as to whether you are “legal” under the rather ambiguous fitness for duty requirements of 14 C.F.R. § 117.5? If you are unfamiliar with this particular regulation, you will note that the essential rule is that “each flight crewmember must report for any flight duty period rested and […]

May 12, 2016 | Drone Law | Section 333 Exemption

Section 333 Loophole For News Media Use of UAS?

A recent legal interpretation put out by the FAA addresses Section 333 issues concerning news media use of UAS in the National Airspace System. Particularly, the issues being addressed are: 1) whether members of the media may use UAS for newsgathering; 2) whether the media can use pictures or videos collected by non-media affiliated UAS […]

December 17, 2015 | Drone Law | Section 333 Exemption

Section 333 Attorney or Section 333 Preparation Company?

All commercial UAV operators have asked themselves this Section 333 preparation question: should I hire a Section 333 attorney or Section 333 preparation company to prepare my petition? It’s tempting to answer that question with another question by saying, “the Section 333 preparation company is cheaper…why would I spend more money for a Section 333 […]

November 3, 2015 | Drone Law | Section 333 Exemption

Is Recreational Drone Registration Practical?

The announcement that the FAA will require recreational drone registration by the end of the year has generated new interest and even some refreshed hatred for drones in our nation. Seemingly, everyone from your neighbor to your grandmother is talking about drones and whether or not recreational drone registration is necessary. Everyone is torn on […]

November 2, 2015 | Pilot Law

DUI and the FAA: What Should I Do?

Navigating the treacherous terrain of a DUI and the FAA can be tough. Did you know that you could have your airmen certificate suspended or revoked for certain offenses related to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Beyond that, the FAA can deny an application for any certificate, rating, or authorization in response […]

October 29, 2015 | Pilot Law

Liability in the Dynamic Airways Boeing 767 Engine Fire

Let’s discuss liability in the Dynamic Airways Boeing 767 engine fire that occurred at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on October 29, 2015. The plane, a Boeing 767 bound for Caracas, Venezuela, had a serious engine fire while taxiing for departure on Taxiway B. According to the Air Traffic Control (“ATC”) feed, everything happened relatively quickly.

October 28, 2015 | Drone Law

Operating A Drone Near An Airport: A Guide

In order to avoid ending up on the nightly news or worse, the FAA’s list of civil penalty recipients, it’s a good idea to have at least a cursory understanding of the regulations/rules in place for operating a drone near an airport. There are so many UAV operators out there right now that don’t know […]

October 27, 2015 | Pilot Law

Pilot Deviation Penalties

Pilot deviation penalties can be stiff. What is a pilot deviation? A pilot deviation is an action of or by a pilot that results in a failure to comply with an ATC clearance and/or instruction. The penalties for pilot deviations can range anywhere from a FAA Administrative or Enforcement Action, a “709” ride requirement, or […]

October 22, 2015 | Drone Law | Section 333 Exemption

Do I Need A Pilot’s License to Get a Section 333 Exemption?

The first question most people seem to have about getting a Section 333 Exemption, is “do I need a pilot’s license to get a Section 333 Exemption?” This is an especially good question for people that want to use their drone for things like photography, real estate surveillance, agriculture, and filmmaking, because these folks typically […]