actively tethered unmanned aircraft system
(1) Actively tethered unmanned aircraft system .— The term “actively tethered unmanned aircraft system” means an unmanned aircraft system in which the unmanned aircraft component— (A) weighs 55 pounds or less, including payload but not including the tether; (B) is physically attached to a ground station with a taut, appropriately load-rated tether that provides continuous power to the unmanned aircraft and is unlikely to be separated from the unmanned aircraft; (C) is controlled and retrieved by such ground station through physical manipulation of the tether; (D) is able to maintain safe flight control in the event of a power or flight control failure during flight; and (E) is programmed to initiate a controlled landing in the event of a tether separation.