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As Hikers Celebrate on Appalachian Trail, Some Ask: Where Will It End?

Faced with increasing crowds and partylike behavior by a few, officials are threatening to reroute the Appalachian Trail so that it does not end atop Maine’s highest peak.

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News and Updates - FAA to Rise to the Cloud

The Federal Aviation Administration will soon be floating in the Cloud and benefitting from advanced computing solutions through a partnership with leading companies in the Cloud industry. After a careful process, the agency has announced that CSC Government Solutions will lead an overall integration effort that will also include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and other leading Cloud providers.

The $108 million, 10-year contract will enable the FAA to take advantage of Cloud technologies such as Software As-A-Service, Platform As-A-Service, Infrastructure As-A-Service and Colocation in a highly secure and resilient environment.

Being in the Cloud will give the FAA on-demand, pay-per-use computing and data storage over a secure FTI connection. The move away from FAA-owned data centers to outsourced locations will increase efficiencies and flexibility while saving time and money all while making information-sharing much easier. The FAA can now purchase IT as-a-service rather than buying expensive facilities and hardware that quickly becomes outdated. The agency will be able to keep up with industry standards and innovate on a much larger scale.

The program will be rolled out in phases over the next year or so. Work will start immediately to assess all existing applications and determine which ones are suitable for the Cloud. Once the infrastructure is established, the FAA will start to migrate systems into the Cloud environment. When the agency is on the Cloud, users will be able to store and access information from any location at any time on approved devices with an Internet connection.

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News and Updates - FAA releases B4UFLY App Beta Test For UAS Users

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today released the beta version of a new smartphone application called B4UFLY for testing by up to 1,000 unmanned aircraft users.

The B4UFLY app, aimed primarily at model aircraft enthusiasts, is designed to give users information about restrictions or requirements in effect at their current or planned flight location. The FAA expects the beta test will yield valuable data on how well B4UFLY functions, as well as uncovering any software bugs.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta first announced the initiative in May, asking for volunteers to test the app. The FAA has notified those who previously signed up and will be pushing the app to them directly in the coming days.

Many unmanned aircraft users today have little or no aviation experience, and some of them are flying where they could endanger manned aircraft. B4UFLY will give these flyers the tools and knowledge they need to operate safely.

Key features of the B4UFLY app include:

• A clear status indicator that immediately informs operators about their current or planned location.
• Information on the parameters that drive the status indicator.
• A Planner Mode for future flights in different locations.
• Informative, interactive maps with filtering options.
• Links to other FAA UAS resources and regulatory information.

Screenshots of the app are available at www.faa.gov/uas/b4ufly.

B4UFLY complements the Know Before You Fly educational campaign, which provides prospective UAS operators with information and guidance they need to fly safely and responsibly. The FAA is a partner in the effort with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), and the Small UAV Coalition.

Using the location services feature of a users smartphone, the app quickly determines restrictions or requirements in effect where they want to fly and gives the user a clear status icon. The status indicator function considers airspace, proximity to airports, temporary flight restrictions, current law and other FAA guidance and procedures.

Model aircraft operators who fly within five miles of an airport are required by law to notify the airport and the air traffic control tower if there is one at the airport prior to operating. The FAA is working on an electronic notification process to satisfy this requirement that will become part of a future version of B4UFLY. During the beta test, the FAA will collect user feedback and operational data and use it to develop this electronic notification process.

The beta test is expected to run for several months, after which the FAA plans to make B4UFLY available to the general public. The beta test will be for iOS devices only, but the FAA is working to ensure the full version will be compatible with Android devices as well.

For more information on the FAA and UAS, go to http://www.faa.gov/uas.

Are Britons too busy moaning to enjoy their holidays?

Holidaymakers are letting rants about minor gripes distract them from the bigger picture, says Nick Trend