Key Terms
Restricted area. A restricted area (RA) is a type of special use airspace specifically
designated in areas where flight or ground activities must be confined as they could be
considered hazardous to non‐participating aircraft, such as commercial or general
aviation aircraft.
Restricted use open space. Restricted use open space is a land use category defined in
the Pinal County Comprehensive Plan as an area that allows limited access to the public
for recreational purposes due to the land manager’s operational activities. It is the land
manager’s responsibility to secure the area and provide notifications and signage for the
public when the property is not available for public use.
Special use airspace. Special use airspace is airspace wherein activities must be confined
because of their nature, or wherein limitations are imposed on aircraft operations that
are not a part of those activities, or both.
Unmanned aerial systems. An unmanned aerial system (UAS), often referred to as a
drone, is a powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses
aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely,
can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload.
Issue:
LAS‐1
AZARNG Site: Increased use of unmanned aerial systems
in the future.
Entire JLUS
Project Area
It is likely that both military and civilian use of
unmanned aerial systems will increase in the
future. Currently, there are no local regulations
in place to support and manage these activities in
the JLUS Project Area.
Compatibility Assessment
Use of UASs, commonly called drones, has increased dramatically in recent years as they
have become cheaper, smaller, and easier to use. In the U.S., around 700,000 UASs were
sold in 2015, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. These UASs create the
potential for mid‐air collisions and so pose a hazard to aircraft safety. The Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) has seen a large increase in the number of UASs flying too
close to airports and aircraft. Some UASs have also been spotted at operating altitudes
up to 10,000 feet. The FAA currently receives over 100 UAS sightings from pilots,
citizens, and law enforcement agencies each month and catalogues them for public
viewing on their website at https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/public_records/
uas_sightings_report/. According to this website, there were 1,075 UAS sightings near
Background Report
5-51