The FAA and AUVSI will co-host this year’s FAA UAS Symposium on June 3-5 at The Baltimore Convention Center.

This year’s Symposium is expanding even further, as the FAA and their partners, AUVSI, work to increase communication and education with the drone community.  With the tag line: “The FAA is getting down to business. We’re not waiting for what’s next, we’re creating it,” the agency is making it clear that they are working to get out in front of new developments in the industry.

This year’s program includes sessions on getting approvals for advanced operations, with topics like “Understanding Your Options and Getting Your Operations Started,” “Getting Approval to Fly Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS),” and “Get Advice From the Approvers.”  There are thought leadership sessions on topics like drone delivery, drone safety around airports, and what the FAA Reauthorization Plan will mean for the drone industry.

New this year is a parallel program of “How To” classes.   Some are geared towards newer pilots: with courses prosaically titled “How to be a Responsible Pilot” and “How to Stay Out of Trouble,” the focus is clear – understand the regulations, and follow them.  Others are designed for helping commercial pilots navigate waivers, LAANC, and drone complaints.  As the recipients of an avalanche of emails and requests, the FAA is in a prime position to know the most common problems that pilots face – and at the Symposium, they’ll take the opportunity to clarify the rules and help pilots avoid issues.

Most significantly, the FAA Symposium offers pilots and stakeholders the opportunity to meet with FAA officials face to face: to network, exchange ideas, and address questions.  It’s worth the trip if you can make it – registration is open here.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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