Making Progress With Innovation Agenda

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy released an update on progress being made with proposed FAA drone rules controlling Beyond Visual Line Of Sight or BVLOS operations and restricting UAS operations at a fixed facility site. These were sent on May 13 to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review.

The Secretary wants to move the rules along expeditiously to enable stakeholders to understand their privileges and responsibilities as they make operational and other decisions.

The Office is under the Office of Management and Budget and it reviews the details, legal and international impacts, and operational aspects of the proposed rules. These are discussed in open meetings with members of the media present along with representatives from the FAA, DOT and OMB to hash out the constitutional, legal, and regulatory impacts of the proposed rules and how they may be adjusted for implementation.

The media are very interested in how the rules may affect their newsgathering operations, and there was acknowledgment of a balance between potential safety considerations and interference by drones with emergency and law enforcement personnel versus the First Amendment rights of media organizations.

The rule governing the restrictions of UAS operations relative to fixed Site Facilities drew interest from commercial drone entities and alliances, as would be expected.

Secretary Duffy had this to say: “From drones delivering your packages to conducting critical infrastructure inspections, unmanned aircraft represent the future of aviation. As part of my innovation agenda, we’ve put forward two long-overdue rules that will speed up deployment and enhance safety. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department will continue to push to bring about the next wave of innovation in our skies.”

FMI:  Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs