FAA Administrator Michael Huerta made two major announcements about drone rules at the AUVSI annual conference in New Orleans on Wednesday. Huerta revealed there will be a broad-based advisory committee in effect and that it will soon be easier for students to use drones in an academic setting.
Schools and students looking to use drones for education or research purposes will soon no longer need a Section 333 exemption or authorization to use drones, so long as they follow the rules of the aircraft. “Schools and universities are incubators for tomorrow’s great ideas, and we think this is going to be a significant shot in the arm for innovation,” Huerta said.
Huerta also introduced a broad-based advisory committee, which is a byproduct of the UAS registration task force and the MicroUAS aviation rulemaking committee -- two temporary panels with one common goal. The drone advisory committee, led by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker, will be a long-lasting group that aims to “ help identify and prioritize integration challenges and improvements, and create broad support for an overall integration strategy.”
“Input from stakeholders is critical to our ability to achieve that perfect balance between integration and safety,” Huerta said. “We know that our policies and overall regulation of this segment of aviation will be more successful if we have the backing of a strong, diverse coalition.”
