The industry task force convened to advise the FAA on its plan to require registration of most small drones got together today in Washington to figure out which of the millions of little aircraft to keep tabs on and how to do it without driving everyone crazy. And they need to do it by Nov. 20. It’s a tall order but FAA Administrator Michael Huerta urged the task force, made up of alphabet group leaders, drone manufacturers, retailers and commercial drone users (25 in all), to “think big, think outside the box.” The big-box thinking got underway in the afternoon after FAA staff “briefed participants on the current statutory requirements and international obligations for aircraft registration.”
In his remarks to the group, Huerta essentially said their task was to advise the agency on a system that would allow the agency to come down hard on those who willfully flout the coming UAS rules, while letting the majority of responsible owners get full value from the little technological marvels. “No one wants to see this promising technology overshadowed by an incident or accident that could easily be avoided with proper training and awareness of the safety principles that are now second nature in manned aviation,” Huerta said. The task force is back at work Wednesday.
