《TAIPEI TIMES》 UAV app trial set for end of month

COLOR-CODED: The mobile app is to display zones in three colors — green, yellow and red — to help UAV operators locate restricted airspace and no-fly zones

By Hsiao Yu-hsin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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A trial of the nation’s first mobile app to inform operators of uncrewed aerial vehicles （UAVs） where they can safely fly drones is to launch at the end of this month.

During testing of the app, only local governments would be able to see where its users are located, the Civil Aeronautics Administration （CAA） said yesterday.

The trial aims to uncover any discrepancies between the information displayed in the app and the real world related to no-fly zones and other restricted airspace, the agency said, adding that the release version should not have any errors.

The app displays zones in three colors: green, yellow and red; UAVs may be flown at less than 400m of altitude in daylight in green zones, while red zones are conditionally limited areas accessible only by entities that have applied for and received approval, it said.

Only approved UAV models are allowed to fly in yellow zones and only during set periods in daytime, it added.

The app would also provide instructions on applying for flight permits, the CAA said.

Local governments can use the app to review whether anyone has operated drones near a no-fly zone after receiving a report, it said, warning users to remember to log in and out of the app so the government can keep tabs.

Future versions would allow users to know each other’s location to prevent incidents, such as collisions, from occurring in red zones, it added.

The CAA said that the different purposes for which government agencies use UAVs has prompted it to mull a list of usage standards, which would be shared with local governments.

Local governments would have the final say in how drones are regulated, it said.

For example, the number of drones approved to monitor parades, processions or other public gatherings would be limited, due to limited air space, it added.

Departments must communicate with each other to prevent too much overlap in areas where drones are in use, the CAA said.

The app is being developed in anticipation of the March 31promulgation of amendments to the Civil Aviation Act （民用航空法）.

Drones weighing more than 250g must be registered and users require a license to operate a UAV of more than 1kg, the amendments say.

The amendments also stipulate a maximum altitude of 400m for drones and ban the use UAVs after sunset and before sunrise.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES