Drone integration program launched

State, local, and tribal governments will take the lead in applying for participation in the pilot program, and will serve as the primary point of contact with the FAA on individual projects, which will remain subject to FAA oversight. The program was launched Nov. 2, a week after President Donald Trump ordered it to be created.

Additional details are provided in a Federal Register notice, which was made available on the FAA’s website as part of the rollout. When the notice is officially published in the Federal Register, this will mark the start of a time-limited period during which government entities and other interested parties may apply to participate. Webinars including live Q&A sessions filled up quickly with participants.

The program calls for government entities to partner with private-sector UAS operators and manufacturers to conduct advanced operations, such as flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) or over people at altitudes below 200 feet or, in some cases, under 400 feet.

“The Program is expected to provide immediate opportunities for new and expanded commercial UAS operations, foster a meaningful dialogue on the balance between local and national interests related to UAS integration, and provide actionable information to the Department of Transportation (DOT) on expanded and universal integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS),” the FAA noted in its online overview, which also included links for public and private entities to apply for admission to the program.

The FAA will collect data generated in the course of these advanced operations, and maintain oversight throughout the program.

“The results will help to inform safe UAS operations and help to transition many of the new and novel operational concepts that we manage today by exception into routine, commonplace aspects of our everyday lives,” the FAA noted in a press release.