AIN Staff

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general’s office (IG) has significant concerns about the FAA’s plan to integrate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System. The FAA will miss the August 2014 deadline for issuing a UAS rule, “due to unresolved technological, regulatory and privacy issues,” according to the IG. The primary concern in the June 2014 report is that after many years of close work with a variety of industry experts, “the FAA has not yet reached consensus on standards for technology that would enable UAS to detect and avoid other aircraft and ensure reliable data links between ground stations and the unmanned aircraft they control.” The IG said the FAA has yet to establish aircraft certification requirements or adequate training for air traffic controllers managing a UAS, as well as a data-collection system to capture and analyze UAS safety issues, a prime ingredient in identifying ongoing risks to other airspace users. The IG said no one should expect the pace of UAS integration to pick up speed until all of these issues are put to rest. The IG developed a <a href="http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/FAA%20Oversight%20of%20Unmanned%20Aircraft%20Systems%5E6-26-14_0.pdf">number of recommendations</a> the FAA should consider to improve the integration process.


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Concerns Remain Over Plan for Drone Operations

Pace of UAS integration still behind schedule, according to U.S. agency.

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