and nine other aviation groups signed a letter opposing a proposed amendment to the U.S. Senate’s FAA Reauthorization Act that would do away with federal preemption in the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System.
Section 2152 of the FAA Reauthorization Act calls for federal preemption in UAS regulation, but an amendment proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) would eliminate that preemption and allow states and local governments to propose their own rules and regulations.
AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon said, “AOPA’s primary concern is the safety of pilots and passengers of manned aircraft, and the best way to ensure the safe integration of UAS’s into the airspace is to have clear and uniformed rules across the country.”
According to the letter, “Proposals by state and local governments in these areas have the potential to create a complicated patchwork of laws that may erode, rather than enhance, air safety.”
The letter went on to say that non-uniform regulation could have “a profound effect on the operations of the manned aviation community.”
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Aerospace Industries Association, Cherokee Nation Technologies, Consumer Technology Association, DJI, Drone Manufacturers Alliance, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association, and Small UAV Coalition also signed the letter.
Source: Press Release