Trimble requests exemption to fly small UAS for mining surveys

By |  July 22, 2014

Trimble Navigation Ltd. requested an exemption to fly its small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) prior to the finalization of the Federal Aviation Administration’s small UAS rule. Once the rule is set in motion, the use of certain low-risk UAS will be permitted for commercial use.

Trimble sent in this request in order to use its small UAS for land mapping and mining surveys. By doing this, the company hopes to save time, money and possibly lives.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems (AUVSI) supports Trimble’s bid to use its UX5 aircraft, which weighs less than six pounds, and submitted official comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the request.

“Accelerating commercial UAS use will not only help businesses harness the tremendous potential of UAS, they will also help unlock the economic impact and job creation potential of the technology,” stated the AUVSI in its comment. “The FAA should promptly grant this exemption request, look for ways to allow for more commercial use of very small UAS immediately, and get on with rulemaking.”

The FAA had announced in May that, in order to speed up the use of commercial UAS, it would consider granting exemptions to the rule for low-risk use of this technology.

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Allison Kral

About the Author:

Allison Kral is the former senior digital media manager for North Coast Media (NCM). She completed her undergraduate degree at Ohio University where she received a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She works across a number of digital platforms, which include creating e-newsletters, writing articles and posting across social media sites. She also creates content for NCM's Portable Plants magazine, GPS World magazine and Geospatial Solutions. Her understanding of the ever-changing digital media world allows her to quickly grasp what a target audience desires and create content that is appealing and relevant for any client across any platform.

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