U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta today announced the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
The task force will be composed of 25 to 30 diverse representatives from the UAS and manned aviation industries, the federal government, and other stakeholders. The group will advise the Department on which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other small UAS. The task force also will explore options for a streamlined system that would make registration less burdensome for commercial UAS operators.
The task force may make additional safety recommendations as it deems appropriate. Secretary Foxx directed the group to deliver its report by Nov. 20.
“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” Foxx said. “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”
Every day, the FAA receives reports of potentially unsafe UAS operations. Pilot sightings of UAS doubled between 2014 and 2015. The reports ranged from incidents at major sporting events and flights near manned aircraft, to interference with wildfire operations.
“These reports signal a troubling trend,” Huerta said. “Registration will help make sure that operators know the rules and remain accountable to the public for flying their unmanned aircraft responsibly. When they don’t fly safely, they’ll know there will be consequences.”
While the task force does its work, the FAA will continue its aggressive education and outreach efforts, including the “Know Before You Fly” campaign and “No Drone Zone” initiatives with the nation’s busiest airports. The agency also will continue to take strong enforcement action against egregious violators. At the same time, it will continue working with stakeholders to improve safety to ensure further integration and innovation in this promising segment of aviation.
Secretary Foxx was joined by representatives from the following stakeholder groups:
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
Academy of Model Aircraft
Air Line Pilots Association
American Association of Airport Executives
Helicopter Association International
PrecisionHawk
AirMap/ Small UAV Coalition
Consumer Electronics Association
Statements of support for DOT’s approach to UAS registration
“AUVSI welcomes the opportunity to join this task force of government and industry stakeholders. This collaborative effort to develop an efficient process for UAS registration should lead to increased accountability across the entire aviation community. Because safe operations are essential for all users of the national airspace, AUVSI is also looking forward to continuing its work with the FAA and other supporters of the ‘Know Before You Fly’ campaign to educate newcomers to UAS technology about where they should and shouldn’t fly.”
American Association of Airport Executives
“Ensuring the safe integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace is a high priority for airports, and we appreciate the leadership of Secretary Foxx and Administrator Huerta in establishing a task force aimed at making progress toward that important goal. AAAE has undertaken significant work to engage in emerging UAS-related issues, and we look forward to working collaboratively with the Administration, Congress, and our partners across the aviation industry to develop workable, common-sense approaches that protect both public safety and the viability of an important and growing industry.”
“As a UAS technology company and operator, we know how important coordinated identification is to the environments in which we work,” said Thomas Haun, VP of Strategy at PrecisionHawk. “The goal of this task force, to create a streamlined registration process for UAS, will have a direct and positive impact on the operations of our partners and service teams.”
Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l
From ALPA President Capt. Tim Canoll:
“ALPA fully supports Secretary Foxx’s decision to create a task force that will recommend procedures and policy for creating a national registration database for all UAS. As the operators responsible for flying passengers and cargo, pilots are hyper-focused on ensuring the safety of our aviation system, including the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. We look forward to engaging in discussions with this task force in developing the procedures necessary to ensure we maintain the highest levels of safety of our aviation system.”
From Measure CEO Brandon Torres Declet:
“As the nation’s leading operator of drones, Measure welcomes the FAA’s efforts to increase accountability and discourage bad behavior among drone users.
“Too many newcomers to the industry have ignored the rules and put aircraft in the national airspace at risk, while commercial drone service providers have made the effort to work with the FAA. This pattern has been bad for business, bad for the industry, and bad for the American public.
“Over 1 million drones will be sold over the holiday season and we need to ensure that everyone learns how to operate safely. The technology is clearly here and can be used to society’s advantage; what the industry needs are reasonable regulations to ensure safe operations while respecting people’s privacy. The FAA’s rules should be welcomed by all drones operators who care about keeping the American public safe.”
“Los Angeles World Airports is concerned with the increasing number of reports of unmanned aircraft systems (drones) flying near commercial aircraft in violation of federal laws. This is dangerous to the flying public and to people on the ground. LAWA welcomes the Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement today, as we believe registration will increase accountability and contribute to ensuring operators know the rules and fly their unmanned aircraft in a responsible manner. Registration also will enhance multi-agency law-enforcement efforts to track down violators.”
Source: Press Release