FAA rules need to look toward future of unmanned aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration right now is considering the rules that will define the future of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This innovative technology is poised to transform industries, and create several new ones as well, in the same way automobiles and smartphones revolutionized our economy. Given the technology’s potential, it is important that we finalize these rules quickly. Equally as important, on a parallel track, we need to lay the groundwork for more expansive uses of UAS technology.

UAS hold tremendous potential for businesses small and large, across every sector. While other countries have allowed for some commercial operations, the United States has lagged behind. Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand, to name a few, have allowed UAS operations in their airspace for years. U.S. businesses, on the other hand, have been stuck waiting as the regulatory framework catches up. But that wait is about to end.

{mosads}In February, the Federal Aviation Administration released its proposed rules for commercial UAS operations in our national airspace—a critical milestone to begin the long-awaited integration process. Businesses from wheat farmers to wedding photographers to Realtors have been waiting to use UAS for years and are excited to have this industry finally get off the ground.

To support this industry, we need to permit more expansive uses of UAS than those contemplated in the draft rules, and we need to finalize these rules as quickly as possible. Otherwise we risk stunting a still-nascent industry, and restricting the many great uses of this technology.

Indeed, as the FAA has worked on these rules, much has already changed in the industry. Since Congress tasked the FAA with creating UAS regulations in 2012, the technology has gone from a niche tool to the hot new holiday toy to a must-have business asset. The popularity of recreational use, as well as the flood of commercial exemption requests to the FAA, shows that a mature UAS commercial market is waiting to be unleashed.

To ensure the rapid development of this industry happens in the U.S. as well as abroad, it’s vital the FAA create a flexible regulatory framework. This framework should focus on the operation itself instead of the platform being flown; this risk-based and technology neutral approach has been successful in other countries with growing commercial UAS industries.

Adopting such a framework would promote UAS innovation. Instead of putting forth new rules for new UAS technologies or operations, this framework would allow regulations to evolve as the technology does, helping the U.S. to keep pace with this evolving industry.

While the draft rule is a good first step, regulations need to go even further, enabling both beyond-line-of-sight and nighttime operations, which are crucial to many industries waiting to use this technology.

For the agriculture industry, which is expected to make up 80 percent of the market, flying beyond line of sight will allow farmers to collect data over large farms more easily and effectively. This data will help them to better manage their use of fertilizers and pesticides, increasing yields, cutting costs and reducing their environmental impact. Allowing these flights in low-risk environments will also allow the FAA to collect data that will help expand these operations to one day include package delivery.

Additionally, UAS should be able to be flown at night, as is already done in New Zealand. Many UAS have lights that make them highly visible to everyone, making these operations extremely safe. This would be valuable for helping to fight forest fires, allowing UAS to keep monitoring the situation when manned aircraft are unable to continue. And it could help search and rescue teams with night operations, such as looking for lost hikers when the risk for hypothermia is highest.

It’s not just the many uses of this technology that are at stake, but also the 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic impact that the UAS industry is expected to create in its first decade following integration. With the right regulatory environment, there’s no question these numbers could go higher. The benefits of this technology are broad, and we need to make sure we are doing all we can to support its growth and development. But the longer we take, the more our nation risks losing its innovation edge and millions in economic impact.

The FAA’s draft rules are a good first step, but regulations need to go further and put in place a regulatory framework that allows for future innovation. We need to finalize these rules quickly and on a parallel track, lay the groundwork for beyond line of sight so that we can achieve the FAA’s goal of creating the most flexible UAS regulatory system in the world. 

Wynne is the president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics.