Comments on: America Is Flying Blind: Why We Need a National Drone Strategy Now https://dronelife.com/2025/03/14/america-is-flying-blind-why-we-need-a-national-drone-strategy-now/ Stay up to date on all the latest Drone News Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:38:59 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 By: Eric Grumling https://dronelife.com/2025/03/14/america-is-flying-blind-why-we-need-a-national-drone-strategy-now/#comment-679983 Sat, 15 Mar 2025 12:38:59 +0000 https://dronelife.com/?p=105644#comment-679983 What are drone pilots doing (other than grousing) to integrate into the NAS? Where are the committees to build a set of NPRM style best practices that the FAA can just copy whole cloth into 14 CFR? Why is it that ever conference keynote is all about waiting for the FAA to take action? Where are the trade groups publishing their ideas? If the industry is to be taken seriously these trade groups have to do more than just show off hardware. And these blogs, podcasts and other publications need to do more than publish press releases.

I’m working to build a “club of clubs” for the drone hobby industry in the model of amateur radio and the American Radio Relay League. It’s still very much in the conceptual stage, but I’m looking forward to a time where hobby pilots are self-policing, flying in a manner that encourages skill and stewardship to protect the NAS and the hobby itself. Please read my three part series on the problems with the TRUST test and the follow-up “Hearts and Minds” on my blog.

https://gvaviation.substack.com/p/who-do-you-trust

]]> By: Patrick McKay https://dronelife.com/2025/03/14/america-is-flying-blind-why-we-need-a-national-drone-strategy-now/#comment-679562 Fri, 14 Mar 2025 21:12:24 +0000 https://dronelife.com/?p=105644#comment-679562 No, we don’t need a national drone traffic control system. That’s just more pointless top-down government control and regulation. What we need is to completely de-regulate drones outside of controlled airspace, and eliminate all regulations on their manufacture and capabilities and how they are flown (BVLOS, etc.). Outside of specific crowded airspace and situations like fighting wildfires, drones are inherently safe and the chances of a serious collision with a manned aircraft are miniscule. Yet the FAA essentially killed the American drone industry in its infancy back in the 2010s out of concern over this minuscule risk. It’s time to de-regulate drones and return to allowing companies and individuals to innovate in this space without having to ask the government for permission.

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