One of the biggest topics of conversation at Commercial UAV Expo has been the FAA’s August release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for BVLOS operations. So, it’s no surprise that the session “The BVLOS NPRM Has Been Released. What Now?” has been one of the more lively and well-attended sessions at Commercial UAV Expo so far.

Kicking off the event, Kenji Sugahara of the Oregon Department of Aviation appeared on stage dressed as a unicorn and stated, “When we talk about Part 108, it is not the unicorn that we all expected.”

Left to right: Kerry Flemming, Vic Moss, Kenji Sugahara, and Rob Knochenhauer

Sugahara then took off his unicorn outfit, and he and his fellow panelists - Rob Knochenhauer from Censys Technologies, Vic Moss of Moss Photography, and Kerry Fleming from UAS LLC – got down to business, debating the good and the bad of the NPRM and providing valuable advice and encouragement to the drone pros in attendance who are seeking a better way forward for our industry.

Early in the conversation, Flemming informally polled the crowd to gauge their feelings about the BVLOS NPRM. A show of hands revealed dissatisfaction with some or most of the document. As the hour-long conversation progressed, much of the frustration with the NPRM centered on how Part 108 rules would, in some ways, conflict with Part 107 BVLOS rules and make it harder for many drone operators to do their work.

Specific points of contention included language around UTM systems, population density, airworthiness, remote ID, detect & avoid systems, and permits and certifications. The panelists also debated the impact a potential ban on Chinese-made drones would have on the industry and how Part 108, as currently written, would affect industry sectors such as drone delivery and utilities inspections.

Given the complexity of the NPRM, the many issues facing aviation as a whole, and the unique concerns of each drone market segment, the panel encouraged drone professionals to make their voices heard and submit questions and suggestions to the FAA during the legally required 60-day comment period.

“There are going to be focused comments from different groups,” Flemming stated. “Public safety is going to have focused comments. Utility companies are going to have focused comments. The Commercial Drone Alliance will have focused comments, which is all great because it's only a proposal, and as bad as some of you think that it is, if you don't comment, then you have no right to complain about it afterwards.”

Building those remarks, Moss challenged the attendees to get involved during the comment period. “If we don't have 100,000 comments on remote ID or on BVLOS in the NPRM, I will be disappointed in this industry,” he said.

Ending on a positive note, Flemming said, the NPRM is “not the end of drone operations." He expressed his hope that "the comments can help fix a lot of the inconsistencies and a lot of the issues right now that are glaring problems.”