Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
The main drone advocacy group for the drone , the Commercial Drone Alliance, has printed its checklist of legislative priorities for 2018. Among the highest priorities for the group: widespread sense regulation for hobbyist drones and faster motion on flight over folks, BVLOS flight, and assist for UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) implementation.
“The UAS revolution is an economic boom in the making. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimated the global market value of UAS-powered solutions at over $127 billion. The FAA has projected there will be 11 million commercial drones sold here in the U.S. by 2020, just 2 years from now,” says the Alliance. “But as big and exciting as these numbers are, they are built on the assumption that our policy and regulatory frameworks keep pace. As is so often the case, technology has moved more quickly than policymaking—and UAS integration efforts have lagged behind the pace of innovation in the United States.”
The Commercial Drone Alliance, advocating for the adoption of business drone use within the U.S. and abroad, says that rules have created a difficult surroundings for US-based corporations.
“While there has been progress over the last two years, the United States is behind much of the international community and many companies, small and large, have been forced to move their UAS operations and testing abroad,” the Alliance says.
“While there has been some progress made over the last few years to integrate commercial drones into the National Airspace System, much work remains to be done,” mentioned Lisa Ellman, Co-executive Director, Commercial Drone Alliance. “Congress can play a critical role moving transportation innovation forward in a way that is safe and secure. The Commercial Drone Alliance is pleased to collaborate with lawmakers to promote specific high-impact initiatives that will remove barriers to UAS integration.”
Added Gretchen West, Co-executive Director, Commercial Drone Alliance, “Top of our list includes enabling common sense requirements for hobbyist drone flight, requiring and implementing a comprehensive remote identification framework in a timely way, authorizing expanded commercial drone operations, streamlining and improving the waiver process, and implementing a “Trusted Operator” program to streamline licensed industrial operations. We are additionally targeted on supporting the event of an industry-driven UTM system, further safety measures the place mandatory, and infrastructure bundle provisions designed to propel the industrial drone ahead.”
From the Legislative Priorities:
To promote industrial drone integration in a manner that’s secure and safe, Congress ought to assist the next initiatives within the FAA Reauthorization invoice or different related laws:
o Eliminate (or on the very least amend) the Section 336 hobbyist loophole, which endangers the protection and safety of the airspace and slows innovation.
o Require the FAA to require distant identification for all drones over 250 grams, together with hobbyist drones.
o Direct the FAA to swiftly implement a rule authorizing low-risk operations over folks.
o Direct the FAA to permit secure operations past visible line of sight in a well timed manner.
o Direct the FAA to streamline and enhance the operation waiver course of.
o Direct the FAA to implement a “Trusted Operator” program that establishes streamlined allowing and operational procedures for licensed industrial UAS operations.
o State the sense of Congress supporting the industry-driven Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) System and its well timed implementation.
o Ensure that UAS applications, and related company workplaces, are adequately funded and staffed to perform these priorities and assist current applications in a well timed manner.
