In a policy statement that took a wrong turn on its way to the 21st century, the Federal Aviation Administration not only continues to employ “UFOs” as the acronym it wants nothing to do with, it also instructs eyewitnesses to take those untidy reports elsewhere. Take ‘em on over to the National UFO Reporting Center, which lacks the manpower to investigate. Or, if life and property are threatened, call the cops and maybe a couple of rounds from a Glock 22 will fix it. Just don’t bring it here.
By necessity, however, the FAA has carved out some wiggle room for a more palatable acronym – UAS, for Unmanned Aircraft Sightings. Or maybe it stands for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The terminology appears to be a little fluid.
Either way, according to the FAA, a UAS is “an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on an aircraft.” It’s so simple and broad, the feds have been using UAS since at least 2009; furthermore, they’ve been producing incident reports for the past 10 years. And if you’re a frequent flyer, you might better pay attention.
Newsflash: Drone owners, legally prohibited from operating more than 400 feet above ground level, are out of control, and maybe one mass-casualty event away from a major scandal. In its most recent UAS Sightings Report, covering July through September, the agency logged 401 related incidents and issued a warning:
“Reports of unmanned aircraft (UAS) sightings from pilots, citizens and law enforcement have increased dramatically over the past two years. The FAA now receives more than 100 such reports each month. The agency wants to send out a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters and airports is dangerous and illegal.” Etc., etc.
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