A trial of the nation’s first mobile app to inform operators of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) where they can safely fly drones is to launch at the end of this month.
During testing of the app, only local governments would be able to see where its users are located, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday.
The trial aims to uncover any discrepancies between the information displayed in the app and the real world related to no-fly zones and other restricted airspace, the agency said, adding that the release version should not have any errors.
Photo: Hsiao Yu-hsin, Taipei Times
The app displays zones in three colors: green, yellow and red; UAVs may be flown at less than 400m of altitude in daylight in green zones, while red zones are conditionally limited areas accessible only by entities that have applied for and received approval, it said.
Only approved UAV models are allowed to fly in yellow zones and only during set periods in daytime, it added.
The app would also provide instructions on applying for flight permits, the CAA said.
Local governments can use the app to review whether anyone has operated drones near a no-fly zone after receiving a report, it said, warning users to remember to log in and out of the app so the government can keep tabs.
Future versions would allow users to know each other’s location to prevent incidents, such as collisions, from occurring in red zones, it added.
The CAA said that the different purposes for which government agencies use UAVs has prompted it to mull a list of usage standards, which would be shared with local governments.
Local governments would have the final say in how drones are regulated, it said.
For example, the number of drones approved to monitor parades, processions or other public gatherings would be limited, due to limited air space, it added.
Departments must communicate with each other to prevent too much overlap in areas where drones are in use, the CAA said.
The app is being developed in anticipation of the March 31promulgation of amendments to the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法).
Drones weighing more than 250g must be registered and users require a license to operate a UAV of more than 1kg, the amendments say.
The amendments also stipulate a maximum altitude of 400m for drones and ban the use UAVs after sunset and before sunrise.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS