The Trump administration wants to make it easier for companies to use drones for commercial purposes — from delivering coffee to inspecting power lines and farm work.
On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a proposal that outlines the process by which companies could be approved to use drones in U.S. airspace and the rules they would have to follow.
In the past, commercial drone users operating beyond line of sight had to request a waiver or exemption, granted on a case-by-case basis, Duffy said. “And because of that complication, I think we haven’t seen the innovation we should have seen in America.”
The proposal comes about two months after President Trump signed an executive order on drones, in part to accelerate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by companies in the United States.
Duffy’s announcement was welcomed by commercial drone operators, who said advances in drone technology have outpaced the government’s ability to regulate the aircraft.
“Drone operators must navigate a labyrinth of inadequate regulations designed for rudimentary aircraft, imposing an artificial ceiling on innovation and hindering progress,” said Lisa Ellman, CEO of the Commercial Drone Alliance.
“Meanwhile, we’ve seen our global peers and adversaries advance in deploying commercial drone technology,” she added.
In an email statement to NPR, the Air Line Pilots Association said it is committed to working with the Department of Transportation to “ensure that emerging technologies and drone operations do not compromise aviation safety.” The group added that “[r]ecent tragic events have highlighted the critical importance of maintaining rigorous safety standards in our increasingly complex airspace, and we will continue to advocate for policies that require all airspace users to operate with adequate surveillance, communication, and collision avoidance capabilities.”
Under the proposed rule, drones used by companies would have to be built to certain industry standards and possess collision avoidance technology to ensure they maintain safe separation from other aircraft, including commercial airplanes.
Commercial drones would be prohibited from flying over large outdoor gatherings, such as concerts and sporting events, and certain personnel would be subject to a security check by the Transportation Security Administration.
Asked if the skies are already too crowded, in light of this year’s collision between a firefighting plane and a drone in Los Angeles, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said it was an example of why the proposal is needed.
“The fact is, you know, we have a bit of the Wild West out there right now,” Bedford said. “So, regulating to a common standard, ensuring the vehicles comply with our regulations and then enforcing that is a much better place than we’re at today.”
The proposed rule will be open for public comments for 60 days.
Source: npr.org by Joe Hernandez