Pilot Institute Believes Third-Party Data Collection Could Easily Be Applied to General Aviation

The FAA's Drone Remote ID NPRM is raising red flags among some in the General Aviation community, particularly when it comes to what is perceived as a path to airspace user fees for GA.

Remote ID would share information such as aircraft location, speed and altitude as well as pilot location. It has been described as a digital "license plate" for drones that its proponents say will improve traffic management and safety for manned aircraft. Remote ID would be required for anyone operating a drone in the NAS, with a few exceptions.

But the data transmitted from the aircraft would be collected by a third-party UAS Service Supplier (USS) which would store it for 6 months. The data would be transmitted over the Internet and be available to the FAA or law enforcement for six months. All of this is much like ADS-B ... except that the USS would charge a monthly fee. Basically, it would mean an end to flying a drone without paying a monthly fee for the privilege, even for hobbyist pilots.

So why should GA pilots care? According to the Pilot Institute blog, it would be an easy step for the FAA to set up a similar situation for the collection and storage of ADS-B information. Such a system is already in place in Europe. If Remote ID becomes a reality as proposed in the current NPRM, the FAA and various government officials could use it as a case study to push for ATC privatization and fee-based services, according to the organization.

An alternative, says the Pilot Institute, is that in the NPRM, the FAA proposes that the UAS should also broadcast the information via radio frequencies. Broadcast still allows for the data to be shared with the FAA, Law Enforcement, and other aircraft nearby. In a way, this is similar to ADS-B. The best part is that this method is free, doesn’t require the need for USS, and doesn’t set a precedent for ATC privatization.

The Pilot Institute recommends that all GA pilots weigh in on the Remote ID proposal even if they have no intention of ever flying a drone. They recommend that GA pilots comment on the NPRM saying that they disagree with the need for the UAS information to be shared via network and should only be shared via broadcast.

(Source: The Pilot Institute blog. Images from file)

FMI: Blog Post