Recently-Formed Lobbying Group Pushing For More Access To FAA Designated Test Sites

President Obama is said to be crafting an executive order that would require federal agencies and departments to provide details about their UAV fleets, and how they use the data and images collected by the aircraft.

The Hill reports that the move is being pushed by the recently-formed Small UAV coalition, made up of Amazon Prime Air, Google X's Project Wing, Parrot, GoPro, and others. Having the government agencies define the parameters of their fleets could help the FAA in crafting rules for the integration of privately-owned UAVs into the national airspace, according to Michael Drobac, a senior policy adviser at Akin Gump and Executive Director of the Small UAV Coalition.

Drobac describes a "vicious cycle" of government bureaucracy impeding private access to the FAA's approved UAV test sites. He said companies may begin to outsource their UAV testing in an effort to avoid all the government red tape.

A recent government audit shows the FAA has fallen behind its schedule to issue UAV rules by September, 2015 as mandated by Congress. The agency, meanwhile, says it is making "significant progress" given the nature of the rule-making process.

Drobac said that the President's executive order could come "any day now."

(Image from file)

FMI: www.akingump.com, www.whitehouse.gov