The proposed rules for integrating unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace may be published before the end of this year, according to a report in the National Defense Industrial Association blog on Tuesday. The rules “will open the door to a lot of commercial operations that aren’t authorized today,” according to Jim Williams, manager of the FAA’s UAS integration office. Williams provided the update during a program review last week with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, according to NDIA. “We’re taking great strides to authorize commercial operations in the U.S., and the small unmanned aircraft systems rule that we’ve all been waiting on so long is getting really close to being done,” Williams said.
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A mandate from Congress in 2012 specified that the FAA should have a plan to integrate small UAS — 55 pounds or less — into the domestic airspace by September 2015. Williams said the FAA has received 117 requests for exemptions from the current rules, as of Nov. 5, and more are coming in every day. Under the current rules, no commercial use of UAS is allowed, although recently several exemptions were granted for the film industry. In other drone news, the first film festival exclusively for movies shot with drones is set for Feb. 21 in New York City. All films must be under five minutes long.
