A Big Day For the Drone Industry

From the Publisher, Alan Phillips

Sally French, Social Media Editor and Drone Reporter for MarketWatch (aka The Drone Girl) wrote an interesting piece on investing in the drone industry last week.  For many of us who actively follow the drone industry, the question wasn’t about investing in the growth of this new sector, but rather when.  When would there be a clear path to a robust commercial market.  Well, the answer became much clearer this morning.

The FAA (with Part 107) announced that the keys to the floodgates of commercialization of drone activity in the United States are ready to unlock the first burst of real activity. It is an exciting time for the drone ecosystem.  With the effective date in August, businesses will begin to deploy software and services to introduce new-found efficiency. Capital sitting on the sidelines will now be more readily available to innovative drone start-ups.  Drone technology companies previously allocating resources internationally will change course and look for business opportunities in the United States.

We are far from the finish line. The FAA will still need to address many issues including drone delivery, but all indications are that much was learned from this challenging process. There is reason to believe that the FAA and the drone industry are on a positive pathway to widespread commercialization which will allow the Unites States to be the landing place for drone companies and technologies.

A big day for the drone industry.