Last week, the FAA issued its second edition of a five-year “roadmap” on the integration of UAVs into the national airspace system. With over 1 million UAVs registered with the FAA, the agency warns untrained operators, not having a functioning air UAV air traffic management system, and the slow development of detect-and-avoid technologies are the major challenges to the safe integration of UAVs. 

The FAA touts the progress it has made so far, including the registration for small UAS and the small UAS rule that allows commercial UAS operations within visual line of sight. Prior to this rule, the FAA only authorized commercial UAS operations on a case-by-case basis. The report did not give a timetable for a rule related to remote identification a tracking requirements. 

The report also outlines the cross governmental and industry relationships the agency relies on to ensure rules are harmonized and consistent. This includes the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) and the UAS Tracking and ID Aviation Rulemaking Committee, both of which NAAA is a member. 

Technical issues remain, such as the development of a detect-and-avoid system, allowing UAVs to avoid other drones as well as manned aircraft. Until such a time this technology is developed, NAAA will continue to advocate that UAVs be equipped with other life-saving safety equipment, such as ADS-B Out or similar technology that can sense and automatically land a UAV before it comes within an unsafe distance of a manned aircraft, and visible strobe lights, as well as operator and airworthiness requirements that are similar to the standards of manned aircraft.