Drone Integration Pilot Program Launches With Aggressive Timeline

Joel Roberson is a Partner, Jim Rodriguez is a Senior Counsel and Jennifer M. Nowak is an Associate at our Washington, D.C. office.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have already launched a three-year Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program announced in the Presidential Memorandum released on Oct. 25, 2017. Interested state, local and tribal governments must submit a notice of intent to participate by Nov. 28, 2017. The FAA is "anxious to be surprised" by innovative applications that push the boundaries. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Nov. 2, 2017, fulfilled President Donald Trump's directive, issued in a Presidential Memorandum on Oct. 25, 2017, to launch a three-year Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, or drone) Integration Pilot Program. The program is designed to safely test innovative small UAS operations in partnership with state, local and tribal jurisdictions, and generate data for future UAS policy and rulemaking. As previously noted (see Holland & Knight's alert, " Presidential Memorandum Launches New Pilot Program to Test Drone Operations," Oct. 26, 2017), the program will proceed under an aggressive timeline, with the first program deadline set for Nov. 28, 2017, for applicants to express an interest in participating.1

During a high-profile media event at DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C., representatives of state, local and tribal governments, as well as industry stakeholders, gathered with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, White House Deputy Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios and government leaders from various states to kick off the program. Chao touted the program as a step towards addressing the biggest technological challenge in aviation since the dawn of the jet age. The speakers talked about existing local UAS operations, including the pivotal role played by drones in disaster relief following the recent devastating hurricanes, where FAA granted more than 300 authorizations for UAS operations on an expedited basis. The speakers also focused on the need for a framework that allows governmental jurisdictions to participate in the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace.

Following the media event, FAA also held a Community and Partnership Engagement Briefing to inform government and industry stakeholders about the newly released...