TITLE
WITHDRAWN
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft an ordinance regulating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) use by designating specific locations where members of the public may safely pilot UAS and create comprehensive standards by which commercially flown drones may operate in the City of Long Beach. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The popularity and availability of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) continues to increase throughout the United States; the City of Long Beach is no exception. As staff from various departments increasingly interface with UAS operators within the City, and based on the impact of increasing UAS activity on public safety, the Police Department (PD) requests City Council action to regulate UAS flights within the City.
UAS is a comprehensive term used to describe: 1) an Unmanned Aircraft (UA), commonly referred to as a drone; and 2) the equipment necessary to take the UA airborne including, but not limited to, a ground control station and launching system. Many UA are equipped with mounted cameras that provide real-time video feed to the operator and can easily surpass 500 feet in altitude. The UA may be either gas- or electric-driven and is controlled by a remote control or similar device in the possession of an operator.
The UA operator has the ability to control the aircraft without visual contact, which puts the safety of the public and property at risk. While the commercial use of UAS is limited to fewer than 800 companies licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the recreational use of UAS generally does not require FAA approval.
Existing federal law requires the FAA to develop and implement operational and certification requirements for public UAS in the National Airspace System. While these regulations remain under development, a number of State laws have been proposed; however, currently there are no specific laws in California that cover the misuse, negligent use or restriction of UAS flights. During the ...
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