FAA Drone Advisory Committee Membership Announced

The FAA has announced the membership and first meeting agenda for the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC).

The formation of the DAC was announced last spring, as FAA Administrator Michael Huerta promoted the ongoing collaboration efforts between government and industry to up the pace of commercial drone regulation.   Brian Krzanich, Chief Executive Officer of Intel Corp., was chosen to chair the advisory committee and to work with the FAA to choose members; the FAA reports that nearly 400 people and organizations asked to participate.  In today’s press release, Huerta says that selections were made in order to represent a wide variety of stakeholders in the drone industry.

“Safety is a shared responsibility in which each of us plays a vital role,” said Huerta. “We know from experience that the FAA’s polices and overall regulation of small unmanned aircraft will be more successful if we involve a strong and diverse coalition.”

“Drones will be one of the great computing platforms of the future. It’s an honor to serve as the Chair of the Drone Advisory Committee. I look forward to promoting innovation in drone technology that will improve people’s lives while spurring economic growth,” said Krzanich.

The 34 member roster is comprised of representatives from airports, pilots associations, air traffic control, research institutions, and the drone industry.  Drone industry representatives include drone manufacturers DJI, 3DR, and PrecisionHawk as well as advocacy group AUVSI and other industry stakeholders like CNN, Amazon Prime Air and Google X.  A full list of members can be found here on the RTCA.org website.

“Drones are bringing real benefits to American businesses, farms, nonprofits and government agencies, while also capturing the imagination of millions of photographers, racers, hobbyists and other enthusiasts,” said Brendan Schulman, DJI Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs, in a company statement. “DJI appreciates the opportunity to help explore how further regulatory changes can help expand the safe and beneficial use of unmanned aerial technology. From saving lives to helping businesses operate more efficiently to sharing spectacular views, we stand ready to help advise the FAA on how to bring these benefits to everyone.”

The DAC  will meet three times a year; with the first meeting scheduled for September 16.  The first agenda, published here in the Federal Register, will focus on prioritizing the issues of drone integration.