WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chair and Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, respectively, held a hearing this week to discuss unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, and heard expert testimony on proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules on drones and the steps being taken to successfully integrate this technology into the National Airspace System.

The hearing comes on the heels of an announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation last week about the government’s plans to establish a national UAS registry.  A task force including industry experts, federal government representatives, and other stakeholders has been charged with developing recommendations for a registration process for UAS, including which aircraft should be exempt from registration due to a low safety risk, including toys and certain other smaller systems.  The recommendations are expected by November 20th.  The FAA already requires registration numbers on commercial drones and has issued nearly 1,900 special permits through October 15 of this year for a variety of uses, such as agricultural monitoring or aerial photography.

The hearing also coincided with increasing numbers of close calls between UAS and commercial passenger aircraft, as well as privacy concerns that arise when camera-equipped UAS fly over private property.  According to FAA data released this summer, there were 650 incidents of drone sightings in restricted airspace, nearly triple the total amount of sightings from all of 2014.  The FAA estimates there are currently about 700,000 UASs currently in operation in the United States and projects as many as one million more to be sold during the upcoming holiday season.

This summer, in Rhode Island, there were at least two separate instances of individuals being harassed or photographed by UAS.  As the Providence Journal reported “laws regulating [the use of drones] have struggled to keep pace, drone users, aviation officials and local political leaders say, leaving confusion about when and where flying the now-common devices is legal.” 

During the hearing, Senator Reed highlighted the importance of finding a balance between protecting private ownership rights and recreational use of UAS with the significant public safety concerns the new technology poses.

“Drones have a lot of potential and are literally changing the way we can see and explore the world around us, but there is also growing concern about public safety and personal privacy.  We need clear rules of the road to safely integrate this technology into our airspace.  And there is a lot of catching-up to do,” Reed said during the hearing.

During the hearing, the senators heard testimony from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael P. Huerta; Mr. Marty Rogers, Deputy Director of the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence; and Captain Tim Canoll, President of Air Line Pilots Association International.

Administrator Huerta noted that UASs have generated a new wave of interest in recreational aviation, calling it “a Wright Brothers moment in aviation of our generation,” that has allowed a “new class of pilot” to operate aircraft from the ground.  He also noted: “The vast majority of these operators do not have the basic aviation training or experience required for pilots of traditional aircraft…They have no knowledge that they may be flying in controlled airspace.  Some may have no recognition that their actions could have serious consequences.  They are simply having fun with a toy.”

Reed led the witnesses through a discussion of some of the challenges UAS present, including what kind of training requirements are appropriate for UAS pilots, how the government should respond to accidents involving UAS, and what kind of standards need to be set for technologies that would allow UAS to detect and avoid other aircraft.

“These specific challenges may be new, but the FAA has always had to find a way to enable new technology to develop while doing everything possible to protect lives and improve safety,” Reed added.  “Today, the FAA needs to think about what happens when protecting the safety of our skies means not only actively managing large commercial aircraft, but also finding a safe place for small, light-weight vehicles.  We need to balance the popularity and demand for these new products while maintaining safety.”

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