Three Take-Aways From the FAA’s Assure A50 sUAS Traffic Analysis Study

The ASSURE A50 “Small UAS Traffic Analysis” report is a large-scale look at real-world drone activity captured through Remote ID sensors across the United States. Conducted by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Kansas State and Wichita State in partnership with the FAA’s Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), this groundbreaking study analyzed 4.6 million data points from more than 6,000 flights to highlight three critical issues every drone pilot, policy-maker, and industry observer should know.

The research team, led by Dr. Ryan Wallace of Embry-Riddle, worked closely with industry partners Pierce Aerospace and URSA Inc. to deploy Remote ID sensors and analyze the massive datasets. The study represents a collaborative effort across multiple institutions within the ASSURE alliance, which includes 32 leading research universities working on safe UAS integration into the National Airspace System.

1. Remote ID Works—But Only Up Close

Remote ID sensors reliably picked up drone broadcasts inside one mile, and almost never beyond ten. That short range limits law-enforcement and air-traffic managers who need broader situational awareness. The study also found that barely half of registered commercial drones and about one-third of recreational aircraft were actually broadcasting Remote ID during the collection period. Until adoption improves, Remote ID will remain a patchy safety net.

2. Altitude and Airspace Rules Are Frequently Bent

While most operations stayed below 400 feet, enough exceedances showed up to raise red flags for crewed aircraft sharing low-altitude airspace. Researchers compared sensor hits with the FAA’s LAANC authorization database and discovered a sizable gap—meaning many high-ceiling flights took place without approval. Those findings point to enforcement and education challenges as drone traffic grows.

3. Drone Activity Clusters in Busy Places

Data revealed significant traffic near airports, heliports, and densely populated neighborhoods. Peak days aligned with holidays, suggesting a surge in recreational flying, while commercial flights continued steady growth throughout the year. Popular models—chiefly DJI prosumer aircraft—dominated the skies, but most individual drones appeared in the dataset for only one month before disappearing, hinting at high turnover in the fleet.

Why It Matters

• Safety: Limited Remote ID range and spotty compliance leave blind spots for first responders and pilots.

• Regulation: Altitude violations and missing LAANC approvals signal the need for stronger outreach—and perhaps stiffer penalties—for non-compliant operators.

• Infrastructure: High concentrations of flights over people and near airports underscore the urgency for unmanned-traffic-management systems that can handle dense, mixed operations.

What Happens Next

The ASSURE team urges the FAA to expand the Remote ID sensor network, boost adoption through incentives or enforcement, and integrate real-time drone data into wider traffic-management tools. Those steps, paired with updated pilot training, could turn today’s early-warning study into tomorrow’s safer airspace blueprint.