As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held its midpoint progress report today on their top 10 most wanted improvements to transportation safety, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) reiterated calls for additional important safety recommendations.

This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) convened the second meeting of the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). ALPA was appointed to this group, which was established last year and we continue to have an active role in helping advise the FAA on prioritized policy areas that are urgently needed to ensure that as UAS operations expand, they do not compromise the safety of our shared airspace. 

Have a New Drone in Your Home after the Holidays?

You’re not alone. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently reported that more than 616,000 owners of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), have participated in the first year of the FAA’s online registration program. ALPA continues to urge the FAA to require registration at the “point of sale,” which would allow all, not just some, UAS owners to become informed and engaged in keeping themselves and their community safe when they fly a UAS.

Across North America this week, drones have once again been receiving much media attention—from a possible sighting by a Canadian pilot at 9,000 feet to thousands gathering in California to discuss the commercial applications of UAS technology. All the while, ALPA continues to be a recognized leader in calling for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

Just as ALPA has been at the forefront of advancing aviation safety for 85 years, the evolution of technology has been a valuable asset for our industry. As unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) gained popularity, ALPA quickly recognized the future potential of these devices and worked with industry stakeholders and government regulators to ensure that the operation of these devices does not jeopardize the safety of our national airspace.

In recent months, UAS, or drones as they are commonly called, have flooded the commercial market. As more people take to the skies with their UAS, pilots around the world are witnessing more of these devices in shared airspace, a problem that ALPA has been working to reduce.