Drone News: Remote ID Enforcement, Bill to Control Airspace, St. Louis Bill Update, DJI Avata 2 Leak

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 4 stories for you
this week: Remote ID enforcement begins, Bill to control airspace
in Illinois Senate, St Louis Drone Bill update, and DJI Avata 2
Leaks.
First up the FAA’s deferred enforcement of remote ID ends this
Saturday. This means that remote ID is now required to operate
any drone that is registered or needs to be registered. If your
drone doesn’t have remote ID, you can equip it using a broadcast
module or you can fly it at a FRIA. FRIA information is available
in the UAS Facility maps or on Aloft Air aware.
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-extends-remote-id-enforcement-date-six-months
Next up is an update on the St Louis drone bill that would
regulate airspace… The bill has passed the city’s legislature and
is now on the Mayor’s desk. Like we previously covered, this bill
limits commercial operators and attempts to control airspace,
including airspace around emergency vehicles, schools, publicly
owned buildings, and events. If these laws are violated, a pilot
faces fines and the confiscation of the drone. This is a perfect
example of a municipality over reacting to a proposed drone
operation. We’ll keep you updated if this becomes law.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/boardbills/committee-substitute-amended/BB199CSAA%20Combined%20Final%205.pdf
Third this week is an Illinois bill that would also control the
airspace. This bill would allocate the lowest 150’ to of airspace
to be controlled by municipalities, who could create their own
rules around “public” airspace. If you’re in IL, please reach out
to Senators Julie Morrison and Linda Holmes to let them know this
bill goes against the FAA’s sole jurisdiction of the airspace.
It’s also interesting to note that this bill doesn’t specifically
attempt to restrict UAS, but instead would apply to all aircraft.
Another one we’ll keep you updated on!
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=2849&GAID=17&SessionID=112&LegID=151674
Ending on a better note, ther's leaks for the DJI Avata 2… Leaded
pictures show the Avata 2, which appears to be a streamlined and
a bit thinner version of the original Avata. With the leaked
drone images come another set of DJI goggles with forward facing
cameras, possibly to allow for an AR Experience. Leaked specs for
the Avata suggest a 1/1.3” CMOS Sensor, 155 degree FOV, f/2.8,
and 4K 60/100/120. Rumors say the drone will be about 480 grams
and will fly for 27 minutes in normal/sport mode and 12-15
minutes in manual mode. We’ll have to see what comes of these
leaks!
https://dronexl.co/2024/03/10/dji-avata-2-goggles-3-specifications/
Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next
week on Monday for the live!