Also: Oregon SAR Drone, AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards, SenseFly & Trimble, Drone Imaging In Forestry

The Commercial Drone Alliance has called for Congress to repeal Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act (FMRA) of 2012. Since the implementation of the FAA’s Part 107 in 2016, which broadly authorized commercial drone operations in the U.S., drone use has been growing at an exponential rate. CDA claims that Section 336 of the 2012 FMRA currently prohibits the FAA from regulating qualifying model aircraft. CDA alleges that this exemption has been misinterpreted and abused—giving all model aircraft users, including those not participating as part of a Community Based Organization as required under the law, the mistaken impression that they are flying legally. I