Financial Sector Mobilizes Drone/UAS Industry to Adopt New Oversight Model

In the light of recent issues surrounding the status/legality of various regulatory models overseeing the Unmanned Vehicle industry, it was only a matter of time before new regulatory models were put forth by industry players.

ADS Infrastructure Partners ("ADS") has announced that it will serve as a catalyst and lead a national campaign to help fund and establish a Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulatory Association ("DURA") as a first step to unlock the full economic value of the sector. On June 6th, to kick off a national dialog on the topic, ADS hosted a round table meeting in Washington, D.C. that engaged thought leaders and stakeholders from aerospace and aviation, academia, Congress, government, and related industry organizations. The group shared ideas, explored and challenged assumptions, policy positions, and current practices.
 
Conferees widely acknowledged that development of the Drone/ Unmanned Aircraft Systems ("UAS") commercial market is constrained, in great part, due to the existing FAA regulatory environment and the slow pace of rulemaking and certification. The group recognized that Drone/UAS sector regulation requires urgent streamlining to realize full market potential, economic growth and jobs. According to FAA's recent market forecast, sales of UASs for commercial purposes are expected to grow from 600,000 in 2016 to 2.7 million by 2020. ADS and other industry experts recognized that this growth, and the billions of dollars at stake, may not materialize without overhauling the current regulatory model.
 
Conferees also agreed that the immediate next step is to explore the pros and cons of industry regulation through delegation of FAA authority mandated by Congressional legislation, and to develop a blueprint for the new organization. The creation of DURA, an archetype of an industry?led public private partnership, is an idea whose "time has come," according to many round table attendees.

"We are almost out of time, given the slow pace of regulation holding back sector expansion, and the complete lack of any national program to fund, build, and operate traffic management systems for drones," stated Michael Dyment, a Board member of ADS. Mr. Dyment (pictured below) was the principle investigator and lead author of "Challenge 2000," which created a modern organizational blueprint to prepare FAA for regulation in the 21st Century.
 
"The future of unmanned aircraft operations depends on finding new ways to manage the airspace and regulate the operators. Forming a delegated organization to manage the airspace, approve the vehicles, and oversee the operators is the key to opening up this extremely valuable new segment of aviation," according to Jim Williams, head of JHW Unmanned Solutions, and most recently the Manager responsible for the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office.

Mark Mykityshyn (shown below), another ADS Board member, said, "To expand this dialog nationwide, ADS will hold a National Summit in Washington, D.C. in September, 2017. Leaders who represent more than five hundred businesses, agencies, associations, customers, and stakeholders will assemble."

A co-author of "Challenge 2000" and an authority in aerospace systems, Dr. Mykityshyn currently leads Tangible Security, Inc., which focuses on cyber and National Security?related technologies and operations.

"We recognize that cyber and National security concerns need to be fully addressed in order to deliver a common and secure UTM infrastructure."

FMI: www.adsinfrastructure.com