The sky’s the limit: Maryland lawmakers examine drone industry
Four years ago, Belinda and Terry Kilby’s expanded their range as photographers by attaching a key chain camera to a remote-controlled helicopter.
Now they run Elevated Element, which manufactures unmanned aircraft systems — otherwise known as drones. As the Federal Aviation Administration studies ways to regulate these systems, Maryland lawmakers gathered the Kilbys and others in the field to learn more about the industry. The University of Maryland is a partner in one of the FAA’s studies testing how to integrate drones in the U.S. airspace.
“We hope that Maryland will be a leading presence, as opposed to developing fear-based policies that we have seen pass in other states,” Terry Kilby told members of the state Senate’s Information Technology and Biotechnology Committee. He and his wife recently published, “Drone Art: Baltimore.”
“Just as the Internet has evolved from a luxury for the very few to a very integral part of the public’s lives, unmanned systems will take a similar route. One day, our children will develop uses for this technology that we’ve never dreamed of.”
Current law only allows drones to be used for government agencies or personal recreation purposes. In the past, they have been used in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts and are being used now in the Washington state mudslide.
Growth in the industry could spark an economic boost on the state and national levels, officials said. Within three years, it could create 1,700 new jobs in Maryland and an economic impact of more than $330 million, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).
“We’ve barely just scratched the surface of the applications of these drones,” Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis. “To the extent that we can get a foundation laid, we can make this the third leg of our economic base. Biology and biotech, cyber tech and unmanned vehicle tech.”
Still, there remains an ongoing concern about privacy. There have been 43 states that have initiated legislation with restrictions on drone technology, such as using search warrants before they’re able to fly,
AUVSI officials encouraged lawmakers to look to Alaska and North Dakota as models. Last year, Alaska officials created a task force to offer recommendations that allow drones to be used in a way that protects privacy. North Dakota adopted a resolution to review the benefits of having a thriving drone industry.
“If new laws come in effect that might treat unmanned aircraft differently than a manned aircraft, just because the pilot is on the ground, that can hurt this industry,” AUVSI government relations manager Ben Gielow told the panel. “There’s no reason to think this new technology will obliterate the Fourth Amendment.”
Pasadena resident Larry Rogers bought his first drone last year. Now he operates Mid-Atlantic Aerial Videography and Photography, which features aerial pictures of the Statehouse, Camden Yards and the Bay Bridge..
“What I’d like is for them not to over regulate the use in Maryland,” Rogers said.
“This is a hobby now and I’m working on developing it into a business,” Rogers said. “Everybody associates drones with border patrol, spying and stuff like that. That word alone, at least among folks operating them as a hobby, is a four-letter word. It’s what really freaks people out.”
