It is with a hearty serving of humble pie that I have to come back and admit the nay-sayers were right. Today we received a letter from the FAA regarding the use of the tether. I can't publish the entire letter because it is considered an internal document at my company but I will give you an excerpt:
"Viking Unmanned Aerial Systems provided [your company], with a letter from an office in the Air Traffic Organization which states that the a specific operation would not be objectionable in terms of its effect on navigable airspace. This letter is being adverstisd as a "compliance statement", which will give the purchaser of the MX-X1 system the authority to operate a UAS platform legally. Unfortunatly, this letter is not authorization to operate legally in the National Airspace system. I have forwarded the information being advertized by Viking Unmanned Aerial Systems to both the Air Traffic Organization and the FAA Headquarters General Council's Office for further action."
(yes, the spelling errors are in the original)
This came from:
UAS Integration Office, AFS-80
HQ, Federal Aviation Administration
490 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 3200, Washington DC, 20224
The rest of the letter basically reads like a cease and desist telling us not to use the UAV un-tethered OR tethered.
So, I take back all the good things I said about this particular tether. It sounded like a great idea. It just wasn't to be.
If you bought one, send it back for a refund. And if you bought one because of my "endorsement", I sincerely apologize.
I hope this is more help than I was before.
The "I-told-you-so's" may now begin! I can take it!
J
"Viking Unmanned Aerial Systems provided [your company], with a letter from an office in the Air Traffic Organization which states that the a specific operation would not be objectionable in terms of its effect on navigable airspace. This letter is being adverstisd as a "compliance statement", which will give the purchaser of the MX-X1 system the authority to operate a UAS platform legally. Unfortunatly, this letter is not authorization to operate legally in the National Airspace system. I have forwarded the information being advertized by Viking Unmanned Aerial Systems to both the Air Traffic Organization and the FAA Headquarters General Council's Office for further action."
(yes, the spelling errors are in the original)
This came from:
UAS Integration Office, AFS-80
HQ, Federal Aviation Administration
490 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 3200, Washington DC, 20224
The rest of the letter basically reads like a cease and desist telling us not to use the UAV un-tethered OR tethered.
So, I take back all the good things I said about this particular tether. It sounded like a great idea. It just wasn't to be.
If you bought one, send it back for a refund. And if you bought one because of my "endorsement", I sincerely apologize.
I hope this is more help than I was before.
The "I-told-you-so's" may now begin! I can take it!
J