White House encourages experimenting with drones
Trump invites state, local governments to set up zones to test them
WASHINGTON To hasten the development of commercial drones, the Trump administration invited state, local and tribal governments Wednesday to establish experimental zones to test complex operations for the remotecontrolled aircraft.
The goal of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy program is to spur using drones for things such as deliveries and agricultural surveys. It also aims to test detection and tracking of the devices and traffic-management systems to guide where they fly.
“Our nation will move faster, fly higher and soar proudly toward the next great chapter of American aviation,” said President Trump, who signed a memorandum creating the program Wednesday.
The drone industry is expected to grow dramatically as regulations are adopted. More than
The goal of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy program is to spur using drones for things such as deliveries and agricultural surveys.
1 million operators registered with the FAA, despite a federal court order that halted mandatory registration this year. The administration estimates the number of commercial drones could increase five-fold by 2021.
The Federal Aviation Administration has at times come into conflict with state and local governments seeking to regulate drones for privacy or weapons because the federal agency contends it has sole regulatory authority over the skies. But the White House said the government’s regulations are outdated and limit a move toward sharing the skies with passenger planes.
Instead, it wants regulations that encourage innovation while ensuring safety to avoid drones colliding with other aircraft as well as hurting people or damaging property on the ground.
The FAA created six experimental sites nationwide in 2013 to test functions such as flying a drone farther away than a pilot can see or testing how to reduce injuries and damage from a drone crash. The FAA also has a Pathfinder program encouraging companies to experiment with drones, such as with a special waiver to CNN for flying over crowds for newsgathering.
Rep. Jason Lewis, R-Minn., said Trump’s program is an important step but still not enough for local control over drones governing privacy. “As we move forward, the next step is to ensure that our communities cannot only help expand the beneficial uses of drones, but that they also have the ability to take effective action when it comes to putting in place reasonable limitations on public use,” Lewis said.