Wants Drone Rules From Federal Aviation Administration

Letter to the editor

7:13 p.m. EDT, May 2, 2014

In the May 1 story "CCSU Professor: Public Needs to Know Drone Risk" [courant.com], I was pleased to see Professor Albert Gates relay the immense potential of unmanned aircraft systems and emphasize the need for the FAA to immediately issue rules for the commercial use of UAS.

Like Professor Gates, the UAS industry is concerned about the slow pace of UAS rulemaking, which has left American entrepreneurs and others either sitting on the sidelines or operating in the absence of appropriate safety guidelines.

That's why the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and 31 other organizations and industries sent a joint letter to the FAA last month encouraging the agency to expedite the UAS rulemaking process. We also asked the FAA to allow for limited commercial operations immediately under a regulatory framework and safety guidelines similar to those currently in place for hobbyists.

The technology is advancing faster than the regulations to govern it, and only the FAA can regulate the U.S. airspace. We welcome Professor Gates and state officials in Connecticut to join us in advocating for UAS rules without any further delays.

Michael Toscano, Arlington, Va.
The writer is president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Source:   http://www.courant.com