Leadership Of The House Aviation Subcommittee Says Registration Of UAVs Will Make NAS More Safe

The chairman of the House Transportation Aviation Subcommittee and the panel's ranking Democrat have come out in support of the DOT's creation of a task force that will craft registration rules for unmanned aircraft.

In a statement, subcommittee chair Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) said he is pleased to see DOT taking the concerns and suggestions of the House Aviation Subcommittee seriously by partnering with the UAS industry and users to register drones purchased in the United States. "UAS technology represents the next frontier in aviation, creating new economic opportunities here at home. But safety must always come first," LoBiondo said. "We cannot allow reckless individuals to endanger the safety of our airspace. The registration process will play an important role in protecting our airspace and allowing the industry to grow. I will continue to work with DOT and stakeholders towards fully integrating UAS safely into the national airspace.”

On October 7th Chairman LoBiondo convened a subcommittee hearing on the safety of the national air space with respects to commercial UAS technology where lawmakers pushed the FAA to consider creating a federal registry.

“Safety is, and must be, the FAA’s number-one priority. I know it is mine, as the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee," said Congressman Rick Larsen, (D-WA), the subcommittee's ranking Democrat. "I also know the UAS industry has great potential to drive economic growth and create jobs, including in my district in Washington state, an epicenter of aviation R&D.

"[The] announcement is good news for safety and for responsible UAS owners. However, the Committee needs to make sure that registration is secure, available to FAA to use for enforcement purposes, and a straightforward process for UAS users. I look forward to working with Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, and Chairman LoBiondo to closely follow FAA’s next steps,” Larsen said.

(Source: LoBiondo, Larsen statements, Images from file)

FMI: http://lobiondo.house.gov, http://larsen.house.gov