An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could soon be coming to civil airspace near you and the FAA wants to know what you think. The safety considerations of mixing piloted aircraft in NextGen airspace with those flown by people on the ground or even totally by computer are a serious concern for most aviators.
Through the National Defense Authorization Act and the 2012 FAA Reauthorization bill, Congress has mandated the FAA to create six test locations where UAVs may be safely flown in the U.S. Data gathered from tests flown in these areas will be used to determine the safest methods to integrate UAVs into regular airspace by 2015.
According to DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, “Unmanned aircraft can help us meet a number of challenges, from spotting wildfires to assessing natural disasters. These test sites will help us ensure that our high safety standards are maintained as the use of these aircraft becomes more widespread.”
The FAA wants comments from the UAV user community and the public. Questions range from who will manage the test sites, the research activitiy sites, test-site operator requirements and any geographic and climate factors affecting site selection. The comment period is open for the next 50 days with full information available in the March 9 Federal Register.
