This is, as most everyone in the industry knows, a very important time for the commercial drone sector, particularly within the United States. About two months ago, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for BVLOS drone operations, encompassed in Part 108, was released by the FAA. Now, the deadline for comments submitted by the public is quickly approaching, with the commenting period set to end on October 6. This is the industry’s chance to directly inform regulatory bodies about what needs to change with the proposed rule to move the industry forward, and also what was right within the NPRM.
As this commenting period has been going on, there has unsurprisingly been a lot of conversation around the future of the industry and what this NPRM could mean for it. It was a major point of discussion throughout the recently held Commercial UAV Expo, and nearly every conversation within the industry over the last few weeks has eventually turned into a conversation about Part 108. These conversations are critical for the industry, and the points being made both in favor and against specifics within the NPRM get at some of the most important topics for the sector in the medium- and long-term future.
To capture some of these thoughts, Commercial UAV News will be hosting a webinar at 1:00 PM Eastern Time on October 9. The 60-minute panel discussion, for which registration is free, will be moderated by CUAV News’ Scott Howe and include insights from Pilot Institute’s Greg Reverdiau, Censys Technologies’ Rob Knochenhauer, and Angulo McGhee APC’s Zaida McGhee. Follow the link below to register.
This 60-minute discussion will cover the most important notes you need to take away from the conversations about Part 108 that came out of the last two months, both on the positives and the negatives. These panelists will talk through what the FAA got right about this proposed regulation, and the simple fact that things are finally starting to move toward BVLOS operations. The industry, of course, has been waiting for years for this regulation to come down, so the simple fact that the NPRM is here and the final ruling is at least on the horizon is a major positive for the industry. They will talk through some of the positive implications that they’ve heard from colleagues and others from the industry, and how they could positively impact specific sectors and use cases moving forward.
On the flip side, they will also share some of the most common criticisms that have come up during these conversations and from what they’ve observed in the Federal Register. Among those topics will be the heavy focus on automated operations versus manual flight, and what will happen for those currently operating under Part 107 waivers. What are the chances that some of these potential issues will be addressed in the final rule? What industries are seemingly favored under the proposed rule, and what should those in other industries be on the lookout for in the final ruling?
Most importantly, this webinar will aim to predict what the near-term future of this industry could look like after this final rule is released at some point (hopefully) in 2026. These conversations are vital to understanding what the next stage of this nascent industry will hold for pilots and end users of all experience levels. You won’t want to miss it. Register below.
Comments