In response to the extensive interest in unmanned aerial systems ("UAS") by the private sector, the FAA announced that it has created a new position for a senior adviser to coordinate relations between the FAA and the private sector. The position will be part of the FAA's UAS integration office. The new position will help address the "'absolute crush' of outside interest from the private sector".
As the FAA works towards finalizing and instituting regulations that have been proposed for the commercial UAS industry, the new position takes on added importance. It is anticipated that those rules will become effective in 2017.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta recently noted that the incredible innovations occurring in the UAS industry are similar to the innovations that occurred in the aviation industry following WWII and that safely integrating those technological advancements is an "enormous task". The FAA recognizes that it is "impossible to predict what commercial uses may lie ahead".
As the private sector continues to advance the technological capabilities of UAS, the FAA will be required to move quickly to respond to and address concerns that will be raised by the use of new and ever changing technology and applications.
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