The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a notice regarding a petition from the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education on behalf of the Desert Research Institute. The petition seeks an exemption from certain Federal Aviation Regulations to operate a heavy unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for research and training purposes. The Desert Research Institute wishes to fly a UAS weighing up to 76.9 pounds and requests permission to hold only a remote pilot certificate, rather than meeting the full FAA written test requirements. Public comments on the petition are invited by February 19, 2025.
Simple Explanation
The Desert Research Institute wants a special permission to fly a big drone weighing a lot for learning and research, without taking the usual big test that pilots need. They’ve asked people to share what they think about this idea by February 19, 2025.