Had Wanted To Loan Aircraft To Journalism Students For Training

An initiative at the University of South Florida to loan UAVs to students in its journalism program and train them in the safe operation of the aircraft has been grounded by the FAA.

Forbes reports that the FAA denied the school's application to use the aircraft for educational purposes.

Forbes contributor Gregory McNeal writes in an opinion piece that he had predicted the outcome, and that it is exactly the wrong tack for the agency to take when it comes to UAVs. "What the FAA should do is encourage universities and other groups to conduct training courses that familiarize people with how to fly a drone safely," he writes. "That's not a controversial or innovative approach to this policy problem, it's one that just makes sense."

According to the article, the FAA based its decision on the fact that the university charges a fee for the course ... which makes it a commercial operation. McNeal suggests that such decisions highlight the FAA's inability to handle the integration of the aircraft into the national airspace.

(UAV pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.faa.gov