1. Background

2. Summary

3. Production

4. Reactions

5. References

"Civilian Drones: Search and Rescue" is a documentary released in 2013 that details the bureaucratic challenges faced by search and rescue personnel and their desperate need for civilian drones which are restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The film asserts that countless lives could be saved with UAV technology, but the government prohibited their use in 2007.^[1]

Background

Search and rescue operations in the United States are denied access to small civilian drones that can enhance the searchers' abilities to rescue victims. The film follows the challenges and restrictions imposed on rescue volunteers by the FAA.

The FAA prohibited all commercial operation of civilian drones in the National Airspace System (NAS) on February 13, 2007.^[2] Currently, a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the FAA is required to operate UAVs in the NAS. Such COAs are only granted to governmental and academic organizations.^[3]

Summary

This documentary details the frustrating experiences of search and rescue teams and the nationally recognized Texas EquuSearch, as well as the continuous struggle by U.S. unmanned systems businesses to stay afloat in a harsh economic climate. This film includes interviews with advocates of small unmanned systems, business owners, search and rescue volunteers and law enforcement officials. While defense contractors and the military continue to fly at will in the national airspace system, volunteers and civilians are prohibited by the FAA from rescuing lives in distress.^[4]

Production

The documentary produced by MahaPix Studios is sure to raise eyebrows as it exposes the viewer to the lifesaving potential of small unmanned systems. Beyond the hypothetical, the film reveals the incredible potential of unmanned technology when placed in the hands of dedicated individuals with passion and experience. Transcending the business plan, the film delves into an industry that has been crippled and waylaid by what can only be labeled a bureaucratic travesty. The film’s writer, an FAA certified flight instructor, failed to get a response from the FAA regarding the operations of unmanned aircraft. “I have been entrusted by the FAA to teach student pilots to respect the rules of the NAS.”^[5]

The Director and Editor of the film, "Civilian Drones: Search and Rescue" gives an exclusive interview on the sUAS News Podcast on July 31, 2013.^[6]

Reactions

The film's significance has been increased by the lawsuit filed by Texas Equusearch and Gene Robinson against the Federal Aviation Administration on April 21, 2014. The Petition for Review states: Pursuant to Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules Appellate Procedure and 49 U.S.C. 46110, Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team (“Texas EquuSearch”), RPSearch Services Inc. and Eugene Robinson, hereby respectfully petition this Court for review of an order issued to them on February 21, 2014, by the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”).

The FAA’s Order commands Petitioners to cease all use of Radio-controlled aircraft in connection with their volunteer, unpaid search-and-rescue efforts on behalf of the families of missing persons. The Order declares in no uncertain terms that such operations are “illegal” and demands that Petitioners “stop immediately.”

Since its founding, Texas EquuSearch has coordinated volunteer searchers in over 1,400 searches in 42 states and eight foreign countries, and has found over 300 missing people alive. In other less fortunate cases, the organization’s efforts have recovered remains, helping families to end the agony of not knowing their loved one’s fate, permitting closure, and enabling the human dignity of a funeral. When a disappearance is the result a crime, early discovery of the victim’s remains benefits the country’s justice system by preventing deterioration of forensic evidence.

Texas EquuSearch and the other Petitioners have been using one specific technological innovation in its searches since 2005: model aircraft. A model aircraft, equipped with a camera, is perhaps the single most powerful search-and-rescue tool in the crucial early hours, and beyond. Indeed, to date, photographs taken by Texas EquuSearch volunteers using model aircraft have directly pinpointed the location of remains of eleven deceased missing people. The models have also helped direct volunteer resources in countless other searches—to help volunteers avoid hazards on the ground, to facilitate resource allocation to areas of greatest interest, and to save time during the crucial early hours of the search.^[7]

A search and rescue group is suing the Federal Aviation Administration after the government agency ordered the volunteer outfit to stop using drones, and the case could have ramifications for civilian drone operators across the country. Soaring 400 feet above quarries, fields and open lakes, a fixed-wing Spectra drone equipped with a camera can cover large areas much faster than people on the ground — which is why Texas EquuSearch has included such radio-controlled aircraft in its volunteer search and rescue missions since 2005. Since then, drones have assisted in locating missing people, helped volunteers on the ground navigate treacherous terrain, and increasingly attracted the unwanted attention of the FAA. The endings are not always happy. In 2012, photos taken during a 15-minute flight helped identify the red shirt and remains of a 2-year-old boy, which had been missed by searchers on the ground. In all, a drone used by Texas EquuSearch has helped locate the remains of 11 missing people, bringing closure to their families. But the FAA insists that such flights are not permitted in U.S. airspace. At the root of the FAA’s disapproval is a 2007 law which prevents unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — including remote control hobby planes — from being used for businesses. Texas EquuSearch is a not-for-profit, volunteer organization.

References

• I.Ae. 41
• I.Ae 41
• I.Ae. 41 Urubu
• I.Ae. 41 Urubú
• I.Ae. 45 Querandí
• I.Ae. 46 Ranquel
• Iaea
• IAEA safeguards
• IAE Business School
• IAe Colibri
• IAE de Paris
• IAE (disambiguation)
• IAe DL.22
• IAEF
• IAE Lyon
• Iaemon
• I. aemula
• IAe N-2130
• IAe N-250
• IAe Nancu
• IAE of Lyon
• IAE Paris
• IAE Poitiers
• IAES
• IAESB