By Diana Cooper, President, Drone Operators Federation

During the December holidays, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its much anticipated Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for remote identification (Remote ID) of drones.  The Drone Operators’ Federation strongly supports the need for Remote ID, however we are concerned about how the proposal would impact drone operators, and we hope to see the FAA make some needed adjustments to the proposal in the months ahead.

Today, the Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI) (droneinnovation.org) issued a statement congratulating the selection of James Viola to become the next President and CEO of the Helicopter Association International (HAI).

Today, the Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI) (droneinnovation.org) -  a Washington, DC-based coalition of manufacturers, operators, suppliers and software developers of personal and professional drones - issued the following statement in response to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Remote Identification (Remote ID) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

In an op-ed for Morning Consult, former Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) emphasizes that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must retain autonomy over UAS integration into the National Airspace System. "Many public policy initiatives are best left to the states to decide — regulating the national air space is not one. The FAA and its federal partners are best suited to continue to oversee the safe integration of drones at any and all altitudes. The air space — like rivers — traverses across localities without being confined to boundaries. Varying standards for UAS operation from state to state or county to county or, conceivably, town to town would stunt most commercial or recreational uses this technology has to offer."

In an op-ed for The New York Daily News, New York City Councilman Justin Brannan discusses the need for the New York city government to modernize its statutes to allow for drones to be utilized for key public safety and commercial purposes. "​Plenty of people still have questions about drones, just like they do about any new technology. That’s reasonable, and there are good answers for them. This city can welcome drones and all the great things they can do while protecting everybody on the ground. When businesses, schools, nonprofits and city agencies can make use of increasingly versatile flying devices, it will show that New York is a city that embraces the future — and the jobs and benefits that come with it. As they say, the sky’s the limit."

​Fedscoop reports that the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit is working with Zipline to prototype UAS for battlefield emergency supply delivery. "DOD spokeswoman Elissa Smith told FedScoop the Pentagon is 'collaborating to experiment with drone systems in an effort to answer questions about how drone deliveries could improve medical care during conflicts, disasters, and humanitarian crises.' Zipline’s work with DOD also is to develop 'exercises' to deliver supplies within the 'golden hour,' or the time where care has a significantly higher chance of preventing death, Eric Gardiner, who works in global business development at Zipline, said during a panel on drone innovation at the U.S. Capitol in July." 

This post originally appeared in Commercial Drone Professional on June 4, 2019 

The Alliance for Drone Innovation is celebrating the first anniversary of the group’s launch with new initiatives. It says its aim is to support the voices of the country’s small businesses and independent commercial drone operators whose livelihoods are affected by federal, state and local by drone policies.​

​The Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI) (droneinnovation.org) — a Washington, DC-based coalition of manufacturers, suppliers, and software developers of personal and professional drones — celebrates the first anniversary of the group’s launch with new initiatives to amplify and support the voices of the country’s many small businesses and independent commercial drone operators whose livelihoods are affected by federal, state and local by drone policies.