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.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS