The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made headlines in recent months due to its cautious approach to the regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. Companies ranging from Amazon to major oil and gas industry firms have expressed dismay with slow-moving regulatory authorities, while the public at large has also evinced considerable interest in the FAA’s rules. More than 2,000 commercial drone enthusiasts have taken part in the organization’s call for public comment.

1. FAA's Drone Rules Impede Progress
in Disaster Recovery Efforts
By Shahram Shirkhani

2. Introduction
• The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has
made headlines in recent months due to its cautious
approach to the regulation of unmanned aerial
vehicles, commonly known as drones. Companies
ranging from Amazon to major oil and gas industry
firms have expressed dismay with slow-moving
regulatory authorities, while the public at large has
also evinced considerable interest in the FAA’s rules.
More than 2,000 commercial drone enthusiasts
have taken part in the organization’s call for public
comment.

3. Drone Rules
• However, while commercial drone use has grabbed
headlines, others have begun calling for attention for
another application of drones: emergency response.
Sponsors ranging from UPS and IBM to Boeing and
Lockheed Martin have signed on to a report crafted by
32 advisors that urges the FAA to update its regulations
to allow for the use of drones in disaster relief efforts.
The report, a part of the public comment process,
encourages the FAA to develop emergency approval
rules to allow for drone use over populated areas in the
event of a disaster or other public emergency.

4. Conclusion
• While the private sector continues to fight for
more drone rights, public organizations seeking
to use drones when responding to emergencies
feel stymied, especially given the FAA’s slow
approval process. Despite these efforts, the FAA
estimates that changes to the rules will likely not
come until 2016 or 2017.