Congress Orders FAA To Develop Rules In Three Years
The FAA reauthorization act which has now passed both houses of
Congress includes a mandate to the FAA to develop regulations for
the testing and licensing of commercial unmanned aerial vehicles
within three years. That provision puts a sudden end to vagueness
in the discussion of how UAVs will avoid becoming a hazard to
manned aircraft. It is also guaranteed to intensify protests from
privacy advocates who fear abuse of surveillance drones by
police.
On the airspace issue, Doug Marshall, a New Mexico State
University professor helping develop regulations and standards,
tells USA Today, "It's about coming up with a plan where everybody
can get along. Nobody wants to get hurt. Nobody wants to cause an
accident."
Tests of civilian law enforcement drones so far have been
limited to 400' AGL and below, which provides a theoretical buffer
from higher-flying fixed-wing aircraft over populated areas. But
helicopters frequently operate below 400', especially in missions
such as air ambulance work. Drones near airports, where aircraft on
approach or departure could be under 400', will also be an
issue.
Regarding the impact on privacy, critics say it's one thing to
assume your outdoor activities are considered fair game for aerial
surveillance, but a different matter when aerial vehicles may be
small, nearly silent, able to hover undetected outside your
windows, and equipped with infrared sensors. Steven Aftergood, who
heads the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of
American Scientists, tells the Washington Times, "There are serious
policy questions on the horizon about privacy and surveillance, by
both government agencies and commercial entities."
Federal lawmakers have been lobbied by defense contractors
making military UAVs to open up a civilian drone market, but there
are also many small manufacturers which have developed tiny,
relatively inexpensive drones based on radio-controlled model
helicopter technology. Companies of all sizes are waiting for rules
which will free them to sell what they've developed to police
agencies, realtors, and other civilian users.
The language in the FAA reauthorization bill sets a deadline
only for the development of the regulations. It's not clear when
permission to integrate UAVs into the national airspace system
might follow.