Lunch Presentation Tuesday 2/18/2020
FAA Regulations and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Inspection Operations
Dr. Alfred Gates
CCSU Professor
Co-Founder and Chief Pilot, of PinnaclX
Dr. Gates is the co-founder and Chief Pilot, of PinnaclX a utility asset inspection and UAS applications company. Since 2014, Dr. Gates and pilots from PinnaclX has inspected over 12,400 high voltage transmission towers in New England, developed fixed wing and multirotor UAS, and has inspected over 20 miles of power lines. Dr. Gates is the first person in the United States to receive approval from the FAA to experiment with UAS technology next to high voltage power lines under a FAA Certification of Authorization. Dr. Gates has received several FAA waivers which include airspace, beyond line of site and night operations. He has had several research contracts from industry, Army, Air Force and NASA to develop UAS technology.
Presentation Summary
Each year since 2015 the FAA has provided more opportunity to utilize Unmanned Aircraft System, UAS, technology for engineering applications including inspection operations. The resent advancement of the FAA regulations has changed how structures and utility assesses are inspected. Common UAS applications include utility asset inspection, bridge inspection, construction site management, buildings, waste sites evaluation. The lecture will cover commercial operations requirements, FAA regulations, Part 107 Waivers, UAS operating procedures, selecting a UAS commercial operator or developing a UAS program, selection of UAS for an application and current UAS technology capabilities for structural inspection for buildings, bridges and utility assets. Several commercially available UAS will be on display during the presentation.