Unmanned Aircraft Systems

An unmanned aircraft system (UAS), sometimes called a drone, is an aircraft without a human pilot onboard - instead, the UAS is controlled from an operator on the ground. This hearing will examine the successes and the challenges we face with respect to the continued integration of UAS into the national airspace system. This technology has the capability to change, and in some cases has already changed, the way many companies do business. Obtaining an easily accessible aerial view via an off-the-shelf drone for realtors or photographers, and collecting even more advanced data for farmers, energy companies, or first responders are just a few examples of how UAS can increase safety, expand opportunities, and create significant efficiencies. Innovators across the industry are continuing to find new ways to market services, solve technical problems, mitigate safety risks, and remain on the cutting edge of the future of this technology. In addition to commercial activities, hundreds of thousands of drones have been sold and registered to hobbyists and recreational users around the country. Some of these users are long-time aviation enthusiasts while many others have been engaged by this new technology and are excited to take flight for the first time. Drones have proven to be so popular, in fact, that the online registration system for small UAS, which went live in 2015, already has 750,000 unmanned registrations, compared to the roughly 315,000 registrations for manned aircraft. While unmanned aircraft systems have been employed by the military for decades, integration of both commercial and recreational drones into the national airspace was first addressed in law by the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Since that time, we have come a long way in terms of adoption, research, technology, and public policy.