A Blueprint for ‘Connected Skies, Connected Communities’ | 2024 FAA Drone and AAM Symposium

July 31, 2024 | AUVSI News

AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins opened Day Two of the 2024 FAA Drone and AAM Symposium opened with the following keynote remarks, as prepared: 

Yesterday morning I spoke about legacy, and the goals we collectively seek to achieve – including advancing our industry and aviation safety.  

I spoke about AUVSI’s role in achieving this goal through our strategic pillar of connecting the industry by helping to host events like this and other events we host – like XPONENTIAL and our Industry Insight Summits –where we are bringing together stakeholders to solve hard problems.  

I was honored that the FAA asked me to speak again this morning, and I decided to focus my remarks on another key pillar of AUVSI, policy engagement – and the opportunities and challenges before the industry.  

As you know, AUVSI led the way on Part 107 rulemaking and implementation, and now we are shaping the future with the Part 108, Beyond Visual Line of Sight rulemaking. 

We commend the passage into law of a bipartisan, multiyear FAA Reauthorization bill, and now we are actively working in support of implementation of the law’s directives. 

This includes the Congressional requirements on FAA BVLOS rulemaking. Timely issuance of a draft rule will showcase the path forward for safely unlocking scalability of high-value areas, including drone delivery, inspection, agriculture, and Drones as a First Responder and public safety operations.  

As I said twice recently before Congress in Congressional hearings, industry is anxiously awaiting the draft BVLOS rule. Emphasis on draft, because at this stage, forward movement and issuance of the draft rule is very important to keep the process moving forward.  

Once the draft is out – we heard yesterday from Deputy Administrator Thomson that we should expect that around the end of the year – there will be time perfecting the rule during the required review process of the draft.  

Congress allowed for 16-months between the draft rule and the final rule. During that time, it will be vitally important for industry to speak together – in one voice to the extent possible – to help perfect the rule. We will want to give the FAA the feedback, information, and data they will require to turn the draft into a final rule. 

While the rulemaking is underway, we encourage the FAA to continue the ongoing issuing of waivers and exemptions to enable risk-based and performance-based BVLOS operations. Congress granted the FAA additional flexibility for approving waivers, which we hope to see put into action soon to keep the industry moving forward. 

This is essential to unlocking the positive economic impact of drone operations, including the corresponding growth in drone-related jobs and the advancement of aviation safety, including controlling risk through automation, as heard about yesterday on this keynote stage.  

I am compelled to take a moment on behalf of AUVSI members to thank the FAA for making significant progress since we last held this Symposium a year ago – more than many previous years combined – with risk-based waivers and exemptions – which are safely laying the groundwork for the 108 BVLOS rule.  

And we are also elated yesterday’s announcement that FAA has granted two AUVSI members, Wing and Zipline, approval to use UTM for strategic deconfliction in North Texas and showcasing to the world how UTM can be successfully implemented and integrated.  

AUVSI applaud the leadership of the FAA – including the AVS, AUS, ATO, and Rulemaking offices, as well as many other individuals and from teams across the FAA – for leaning forward in this past year. This has been a momentous year, and the FAA deserves positive recognition for that.  

If you want to learn more about how the FAA has been leaning forward and laying the groundwork for BVLOS, stick around until Thursday afternoon for a panel on the evolving regulatory pathway to BVLOS operations that you won’t want to miss.  

The FAA Reauthorization Act also includes important directives regarding the Advanced Air Mobility industry broadly, and operations of powered lift aircraft specifically, which will help to meaningfully move the eVTOL segment of the AAM industry forward.  

AUVSI looks forward to FAA issuing the Powered-Lift Special Federal Aviation Regulation later this year, which takes into consideration industry feedback on the initial approach the FAA took in the NPRM. We know the rule is at OMB for review. 

We appreciate the FAA moving the powered lift SFAR through the rule making process. Being in review at OMB brings us closer to knowing if this revised SFAR will right-size safety and meet the needs of industry and the public.  

It is essential for the future of U.S. aviation global leadership that the forthcoming rule is performance-based and safety-based, and takes into account the feedback of industry to correct the significant shortcomings of the draft rule. 

The FAA Reauthorization bill also creates a pilot program for Electric Aircraft Charging Infrastructure. This would give airports critical tools to plan for the future, including energy assessments and installation of interoperable charging infrastructure for electric aviation.  

As we heard from Shennata Griffin yesterday, today, more than 20 airports already have charging infrastructure that supports electric aviation, and the pilot program would help broaden that on-airport network to support early operations of Advanced Air Mobility.  

There are some great panels on this topic this week, including one yesterday, and another on Thursday where we’ll hear more about this ongoing work, and this is an area AUVSI looks forward to digging into more in the future with industry, airports, the FAA, DOT, DOE, NREL, and other key stakeholders.  

We are also heartened that the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act authorizes a grant program for local, state, and tribal governments to purchase and use drones for critical infrastructure inspections and construction projects. Grant programs like this will bolster investment in the drone industry and provide tangible benefits for infrastructure resilience and workforce development. 

Thinking about state, local, and tribal governments, we know that their engagement in policy and integration is critical to achieving Connected Communities, especially from an infrastructure and data-sharing perspectives.  

Through our Drone Prepared and AAM Prepared state and local initiatives, AUVSI is continually seeking opportunities to engage with and educate local decision-makers, planners, and others responsible for integration into communities. We’re excited to share that multiple states have passed laws to support our industries and are now “Drone Prepared” or “AAM Prepared.” 

As I wrap up, I’ll conclude with an observation from yesterday. During a panel in the morning, there was a question around where we will be in 5-years and what will have changed.  

The answers were interesting and optimistic, and throughout the day, in the hallways, in other sessions, and even at dinner last night the same question was being asked and debated.  

Anytime anyone is attempting to predict the future, obviously that can be a challenging task fraught with risk of upsetting others.  

But I did notice one consistent theme through all the answers I heard yesterday – hope. Not a single person was negative about the future of the drone or AAM industry. Certainly, there is recognition that the road ahead is challenging, and that there is significant risk ahead – business risk, not so much safety risk –  but not a single person predicted that advanced aviation – drones and AAM – would not succeed, and would not be transformational for aviation safety, and for how we move people and goods, conduct critical missions like public safety and infrastructure inspection, and more.  

This was obviously very encouraging, but of course, hope is not a strategy. We need that optimism, but we also need a strategy. We then need to execute on that strategy and shift tactics when dynamics change, which they will.  

AUVSI is here to help lead the way forward and to be the voice for the drone and AAM industries to ensure that our collective hope becomes a successful reality.  

AUVSI is here to connect, educate, and advocate and lead us to that shared vision of a safer, more efficient, and more equitable aviation future.  

Thank you. I look forward to seeing you out there today.