Drones Are The Future of Aviation and Many More Industries
With the increase in drone technology, drone taxis might soon become common. The current direction of flight technology is clearly pointing in the direction of unmanned flight. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) also known as drones offer a huge benefit to our economy and society. Drones will help improve many industries. They will change how deliveries are made, improve safety and surveillance and increase access to life saving medical supplies.
Though there are many advances in drone technology that will help businesses and industries, they can also be used for committing crimes and creating new risks to the safety of our airspace. To encourage integration of drones into our daily lives, the FAA needs to review all laws regarding unmanned flights. They need to create laws to protect the airspace from terror attacks and criminals. This will not only protect the lives of Americans, but also ensure a safe movement of goods via drone deliveries and the safety of transporting people with the use of drone taxis.
Thankfully, the current administration is working with Congress to create a balance. Last year, President Trump signed a memorandum to introduce a new pilot program which will mean more drone testing across several cities in America. The FAA received applications from more than 2,500 interested parties, including Fortune 500 companies, local governments and universities. They selected 10 partners from different industries and tests are now underway that will hopefully create new laws for drones.
There are drone applications that are currently being tested by the FAA. In San Diego, California, drones will be paired with 5G internet networks. In Fort Myers, Florida, they will be used to exterminate mosquitoes. In Reno, Nevada, drones will be used to deliver medical equipment that can save lives in emergency situations. In Fairbanks, Alaska drones will be used to inspect pipelines. The potential for drones is really unlimited.
All of these pilot programs will give the FAA some important data for use in creating regulations such as tracking systems, remote identification, collision avoidance technologies, and drone traffic management. Basically, the data will help make drone integration into our airspace and communities safer. The drone test programs are a welcome development that can help us improve and safely integrate drones into our society.
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