leel NG CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Honorable Mayor and City Council Members

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1 oe", City of RE leel NG CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Rick Moskwa Public Works Director Agenda Item No.: Meeting Date: 9- B January 23, 2017 ACTION REQUESTED: Motion to Authorize Use of AirMap' s Digital Notice and Awareness System ( D -NAS) for Drone Operations. ATTACHMENTS: Power Point Presentation Draft Web Page Information BACKGROUND: The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems ( UAS) or Drones has grown exponentially in recent years. Over the last year, the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) has made great strides toward integrating unmanned aircraft, popularly called " drones", into the nation' s airspace. The first big step took place in December of 2015 when a new, web based drone registration system went online. During the last year, the system has registered more than 616, 000 owners and individual drones. Along with the requirement of drone operators to register their aircraft, the FAA requires that hobby and recreational operators notify the Airport prior to operating a drone within 5 miles of the Airport. Additionally, the FAA is requiring that the Airport owners take steps to develop a procedure of notification to the Red Wing Regional Airport of a drone or UAS operation in the airspace near the Airport. The Red Wing Airport Board and staff have been working with MnDOT Office of Aeronautics to develop a protocol for notification of drone use near the Red Wing Regional Airport ( RGK). The areas include a 5 Mile Notification Area and a Polygon with areas identified with a higher risk of aircraft and drones operating at the same altitude. MnDOT recommends the AirMap Digital Awareness System ( D -NAS) for this notification. DISCUSSION: AirMap' s Digital Notice and Awareness System ( D -NAS) delivers situational awareness to drone operators and airspace stakeholders. By enabling drone operators to file digital notice to airports, D -NAS makes airport operations centers aware of drone operations in their area and provides a direct line to the operator in case of an emergency situation. Page I 1

2 D -NAS works by letting drone operators view airspace rules and regulations on AirMap, create a flight and submit digital notice directly from the AirMap app or other AirMap integrated drone software. This digital notice collects safety -critical information like name of the operator, FAA registration number, contact information, location and altitude and radius of flight, etc. and sends it to the airport. The airport receives and manages this information in the D -NAS dashboard and can contact the drone operator directly should safety conditions change. If approved, we would provide a link to AirMap on the City website. We would provide updates to the site if there are any events such as a Fly in Breakfast or incidences where the air traffic would be significantly changed. There are no costs or obligations to the City for the use of the AirMap system. The service is designed as a tool to ensure the safety of aircraft operations in and around the airport. The City does not have the right to deny an operator the right to operate their drone in any airspace, however identifying the unsafe areas is beneficial to both aircraft and operator. The City Attorney has reviewed the plan and the system and has no objections to the use of the AirMap system. The Airport Board was presented with the information and recommends that Council approve the AirMap system as well. ONGOING OPERATING & MAINTENANCE COSTS: N/ A FUNDING SOURCE( S): ALTERNATIVES: N/ A 1) Authorize Use of AirMap System 2) Not Authorize and advise staff as to how to proceed. RECOMMENDATION: Authorize Use of the AirMap System Page 12

3 1/ 18/ 2017 Airport Board request that the City of Red Wing enter into an account agreement with AirMap to provide mapping and digital notification FAA Requirements Hobby/ Recreational drone operator must Notifying the Airport How does the drone operator notify the city? NOTIFY the airport prior to operating a Drone Operator can use the app to digitally send the within 5 miles of an airport. notification Who do they notify? AirMap will notify us via the media of our choice / Text/??) Digital notifications will be recorded 1

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5 1/ 18/ 2017 Why AirMap? Interactive advisories that would be hard for the city to do Automated Digital Notification ( FAA required notification to airport operator) Will show drone operator the risk areas around the airport environment Conclusions This is an effective way for the drone operator to meet their obligation under FAA regulations to notify the airport Provides an effective,ha, Mr.., way for the airport to receive notification Shows where phone notification is required Digital Notification is not accepted) No Cost to City and no term commitment Thank You 3

6 Welcome to the Red Wing Regional Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems ( UAS)/ Drone information page. This page is not intended to replace knowledge of the operating rules required by the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) for commercial or hobby/ recreational users but is intended to highlight flight paths and airplane operations around the Red Wing airport ( KRGK) to increase SAFETY for both aircraft and UAS vehicles operating within a 5 mile radius of the airport. The intention of the information provided is to give the UAS/ Drone pilot an idea of where to look for and anticipate where aircraft may be. The FAA has developed an " app" which details 5 mile radius' s around public use airports throughout the U. S. It is called 134UFLY and can be downloaded for free on your smart phone. The Red Wing Regional Airport Strongly recommends that every UAS operator register with com or download the free "AirMap for Drones" app available for both Android and IOS. The registration is free and upon signing in, will provide: 1. the UAS operator a map of the Red Wing Airport 5 mile area, and 2. the * areas within the 5 mile radius where low flying aircraft can be expected and extreme caution should be taken by the UAS operator, and 3. a simple process for complying with the FAA requirement for contacting the Red Wing airport when operating your UAS within the 5 mile radius. Note: It is recommended that no UAS operates on the immediate airport property. Should the UAS operator desire to operate on the airport property, the operator is required to contact Red Wing Airport Operations during regular business hours at Operating rules for the Hobby/ Recreational UAS ( non- commercial) are the same as for model aircraft which are based on a community set of safety guidelines developed by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. A link to the FAA' s Fly for Fun website which contains a complete set of rules/ guidelines can be found here. The important rules are that: a) The UAS operator must contact the airport operator via AirMap or the AirMap app prior to flying within 5 miles of the airport. b) A UAS used for recreation must be registered with the FAA. For the Commercial operator, Federal Aviation Regulation ( FAR) Part 107 applies and you must complete the required testing before you can operate as a commercial drone pilot. The airspace around the Red Wing Airport is Class G and the rules governing operations in Class G airspace apply. The FAA allows UAS pilots to fly within 5 mile areas around airports. As the owner of the Red Wing Airport, the City of Red Wing will comply with the FAA. However, we urge UAS pilots to exercise additional caution when operating within the radius. Safety is the number one concern for the City; safety for both Airplanes using the airport and UAS/ Drone operators flying nearby. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Red Wing airport operations during business hours at