The commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)–or drones–is on track to permeate nearly every segment of the U.S. economy. The notions of drones delivering groceries, transporting medical supplies, helping farmers and assisting first responders are already moving from fiction to reality.
However, as with any fast-moving innovation sector, laws and policies must allow this integration to take place in the safest and most innovative manner possible, and this can only be achieved through greater involvement by higher education institutions.
{mosads}Late last month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its annual “Aerospace Forecast Report Fiscal Years 2016 to 2036,” which projects significant growth in the use of unmanned aircraft. The FAA estimates that sales of small UAS for commercial purposes will grow from 600,000 in 2016 to 2.7 million by 2020–a 350 percent increase over five years.
Based on this forecast, UAS will soon be ubiquitous in our skies. To occur in a manner that protects the public, such proliferation is dependent on the safe integration of these small UAS into the national airspace, which is the focus of the FAA’s proposed rule released in February of last year.
As Congress and the FAA grapple with the best way to integrate small UAS safely, they have a willing and able partner in higher education institutions. Many schools already support the emerging unmanned aircraft technology industry and others are seeking to develop programs designed to meet the growing demand. Since the first bachelor’s degree in unmanned aircraft systems was established in 2009, six other colleges and universities have developed majors in unmanned aircraft systems. Numerous others have created minors, associate degrees or areas of concentration in unmanned aircraft systems, suggesting that more majors could follow if the obstacles to education and research in this area are removed.
Higher education institutions will be critical to producing the workforce and other human capital necessary to support the unmanned aircraft industry, including vehicle operators, platform designers, sensor managers, and data analysts. Enrolling more students in these programs, which provide the latest information and techniques for safe use of the airspace and unmanned aircraft technology, is in the public interest. In addition to helping protect public safety, colleges and universities are drivers of innovation and economic development. Today’s unmanned systems students will be the innovators of tomorrow’s break-throughs.
For this to happen, schools need a regulatory framework that supports this field and encourages development of research and educational programs. Historically, institutions of higher education have helped pave the way for new and emerging technologies. The colleges and universities involved in UAS today are also dedicated to continuing this tradition in a safe and integrated National Airspace System.
Unfortunately, the current regulatory requirements do not support such sector growth. Under current rules, higher education institutions are treated the same as for-profit businesses, because training flights would technically be viewed as “flights in furtherance of a business.” In order to operate UAS for educational and research purposes, colleges and universities must secure an exemption or Certificate of Authorization from the FAA. The application process is laborious and time consuming with approvals currently taking six months or longer.
Recognizing this impediment, the House and Senate have included provisions in the FAA authorization bills that would reduce the regulatory requirements on higher education institutions engaging in UAS-related education and research. While this is a promising start, Congress could and should do more to reduce these barriers. For instance, one such proposal, the Higher Education UAS Modernization Act (S. 2626), bipartisan legislation recently introduced by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), would exempt higher education institutions operating unmanned aircraft systems, within certain safety parameters, for educational and research purposes. This is the type of approach that is needed to unleash the full potential of higher education institutions in this space.
It is undoubtedly in the public interest for operators to be properly trained and for designers and others in the industry to have a strong foundation in safety from an accredited degree program. Furthermore, research would be accelerated, driving innovation in the industry and leading to small business creation and economic growth. The benefits to the public of more higher education institutions engaged in this space outweigh the risks, which could be largely mitigated through establishing safety parameters.
We encourage Congress to act to make it as easy as possible, while still maintaining safety, for higher education institutions to operate small UAS for educational and research purposes.
Dr. Richard Baker is Chair of Indiana State University’s (ISU) Department of Aviation Technology and Director of ISU’s Center for Unmanned Systems and Human Capital Development. Rob Ehrich is a federal affairs consultant with FaegreBD Consulting in Washington, D.C., specializing in UAS policy and regulations