Drones In The United States: What Will It Take To Fly?

Philip Baker-Shenk is a Partner in our Washington-DC office

HIGHLIGHTS:

• The civilian use of unmanned aerial technology — UAVs, UASs or drones — is inevitable, and right now, the government is sorting through regulatory, aviation, telecommunications, First Amendment and privacy issues.
• Given the opportunities and challenges involved, the time is now for the news media, private industry and tribal, state and local governments to participate in the public discourse on federal civilian drone policy and regulation.

A Regulatory Framework

It's only a matter of time. Unmanned aerial technology – called UAVs, UASs or drones – for civilian use in the United States is inevitable. Federal agencies and Congress are now writing the policies and regulations to govern the operation of UAVs and determine which uses may be phased in first.