Calls Database An 'Important Tool' For Safety

Following the signing of the Defense authorization Act by President Donald Trump earlier this week, The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued a statement praising the inclusion of the drone registration provision with the bill.

“ALPA applauds Congress and the President for restoring the FAA's ability to require that owners and operators of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) register their vehicles. This is an important tool that helps ensure that UAS are flown safely in skies they share with airliners carrying passengers and cargo," the union said in the statement.

“ALPA has been a strong advocate for UAS operator registration to help law enforcement authorities ensure compliance with regulations and enable the FAA to educate individuals who may be new to aviation about the responsibility that comes with flying a UAS in shared airspace.

“Before the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the FAA’s successful registration process earlier this year, over 800,000 operators had registered their devices. Maintaining safety must stand as the first priority as we integrate UAS into shared airspace. ALPA looks forward to working with the FAA and industry on evolving this process even further to a point-of-sale registration requirement, which would make certain that UAS owners and operators are aware of the rules and responsibility involved with the aircraft they purchase.”

(Source: ALPA news release)

FMI: www.alpa.org