Secretary Chao highlights benefits of Drone Integration Pilot Program

In an op-ed piece for The Hill last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao touted the benefits of safe drone technology regulations to come with the administration’s three-year pilot program for expanded use of unmanned aircraft systems.    After October’s announcement of a three-year pilot program for drone use by state and local governments, Elaine L. Chao, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), highlighted the benefits of safe drone technology in an op-ed piece published in The Hill last week.
   Secretary Chao referenced the use of safe drone technology in hurricane aid, parcel deliveries and technology advancement in recent months, which led to the initiation of the pilot program. She also spoke about the adaptability of drone technology and possible future plans for drone use in other public and private sectors.
   “Just as democratization of technology led to new programs, uses, and ‘apps’ for computers, it is leading to creative new uses and innovation for drones,” she wrote.
   The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized over 300 drones for search, rescue, and recovery efforts after the hurricanes in the U.S. and its territories.
   “Drones let [rescuers] check roofs without climbing ladders, and make surveys faster and less expensive,” said Chao. “They can detect humans in total darkness, and can see through fog, smoke, and haze.
   “Teams fighting wildfires can also use this technology to locate hidden hotspots that might burst into flame later,” she added. “This flexibility helps explain why more than 300 first responder teams throughout the United States have purchased drones. In fact, a community college in Illinois has started offering a course for first responders interested in starting drone programs.”
   Secretary Chao also said that drones have the potential for a huge impact in the package delivery sector, as well as for critical supply delivery, to remote or inaccessible areas.
   “Utilizing drones in our nation’s airspace could add $80 billion to our economy and create 100,000 jobs in the next decade, according to a recent report by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International,” she said.
   However, she warned that because the U.S. regulatory environment is “perceived as overly restrictive, much drone innovation is happening overseas — in Japan, Australia, and Great Britain. This could shortchange America’s economy and workers.”
   Secretary Chao said the administration’s three-year pilot program to allow state, local and tribal leaders to partner with drone operators to test and deploy drone operations that currently require special authorizations, will “safely expand cutting-edge drone unmanned aircraft operations and test ‘beyond visual line of sight’ flights, night operations, flights over people, and many other applications.” The program will be overseen by USDOT and the FAA in order to gather data to develop future drone regulations.
   “Earlier this year, I attended an event in North Dakota that focused on drone technology, in which local authorities provided a welcoming environment for drone operations,” wrote Chao. “The administration’s new Drone Integration Pilot Program seeks to encourage this spirit of partnership and innovation. American ingenuity and innovation are two of our country’s greatest strengths. This pilot program will help ensure that Americans reap the benefits of safe drone technology, and that our country retains its place as an aviation pioneer and technology leader.”