Seeking public comment on its proposed privacy policy for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday will host an online public engagement session to overview the UAS program and take comments from participants.
The FAA in February issued a Request for Proposals for six ranges that will be used to test UAS for integration into domestic airspace (Defense Daily Feb. 15). The agency plans to award the sites by the end of September.
The FAA said that the privacy requirements that it is proposing are designed for the operation of the UAS test sites and are not intended to “pre-determine the long-term policy and regulatory framework under which commercial UAS would operate.” In tomorrow’s public engagement session, the FAA will listen and record comments on the docket but will not answer any questions.
President Barack Obama last year signed a congressional bill that calls for integrating UAS into the national airspace by 2015. The prospect of surveillance drones flying over neighborhoods and communities by various law enforcement agencies has created concerns for public safety and privacy among various states, localities and lawmakers.