Aviation's next great frontier: Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems

America’s airspace is on the verge of being expanded in ways that realize the enormous positive potential of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). In coming years, UAS will increasingly save and improve the lives of Americans by helping to fight forest fires, perform search-and-rescue operations, enable precision farming, survey vast lands for wildlife conservation, and more.

In fact, because of significant steps forward by government regulators, UAS will begin to be integrated into US airspace by 2015. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta – at an event sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association in Washington – outlined a just-released roadmap for integrating UAS into America’s skies, as well as a plan for safety recommendations.

With UAS expansion, privacy is a significant but surmountable concern. To address the issue, Administrator Huerta unveiled privacy requirements for the six domestic UAS test sites that will be announced by the end of the year.

Huerta said the trio of documents provides a pathway to “transforming our airspace.” And AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey touted the “enormity of the benefits of unmanned aircraft” including their great potential to improve lives.

See the videos for excerpts from the AIA event.