Small UAV Coalition urges the FAA to focus resources on regulations that will enable domestic UAV innovation
Recent court cases distract from timely and safe integration of small UAVs
WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 19, 2014 – The Small UAV Coalition released the following statement from executive director Michael Drobac:
“The Small UAV Coalition is neither surprised nor disappointed by the recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruling, which provides that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the authority to take enforcement action against operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, the Coalition urges the FAA to focus its attention and resources on achievements that will allow for the timely and safe operation of small UAVs.
“The FAA is already behind its deadline to integrate commercial UAVs into the national airspace, and we understand that the forthcoming draft rule for small UAS will not address the realities of today’s UAV technology, such as varying degrees of autonomy and the ability to perform operations beyond line of sight. Consumers and the industry would be better served if the FAA focused its limited resources on ways to bring the United States UAV industry up to speed with other countries, by allowing domestic manufacturers to conduct research and development on their own property, or by addressing the over 100 outstanding petitions for exemption under section 333. Critical time already has been wasted, costing U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace.”
About the Small UAV Coalition:
Leading technology companies founded the Small UAV Coalition to pave the way for commercial, philanthropic, and civil use of small UAVs in the United States and aboard. Chief among the organization’s goals is to advance a regulatory environment that will support safe, reliable, and timely operation of small UAVs.
Board Members are: 3DR, Aerialtronics, Airware, Amazon Prime Air, DJI Innovations, EHang, Google[x] Project Wing, GoPro, Parrot, PrecisionHawk, Sky-Futures, and SkyWard.
For more information on the Small UAV Coalition, please visit www.smalluavcoalition.org, contact press@smalluavcoalition.org, or follow @smallUAVs on Twitter.
