For Immediate Release: May 9, 2018
Contact: Tom McMahon, tmcmahon@auvsi.org, (571) 255-7786
 

                                                                                   
ARLINGTON, Va. – Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), issued the following statement on the announcement of the participants selected for the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program:
 
"The participants selected for the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program represent a commitment by governments at all levels to safely and efficiently integrate UAS into the national airspace. As more and more businesses and public institutions embrace UAS, it is more important than ever to have a process in which states, municipalities and tribal governments can provide input on federal policy without infringing on the U.S. government’s jurisdiction over the airspace.
 
“The data the participants will collect on UAS operations will help shape a national UAS policy framework, including for a UAS traffic management system and expanded UAS operations such as flying over people or beyond line of sight. We look forward to seeing the results of their work and the contributions these groups will make to keeping our skies safe.”
 
Participants selected for the program include:
 

• City of Reno, Nevada
• City of San Diego, California
• Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority (Virginia Tech)
• Kansas Department of Transportation
• Lee County (Florida) Mosquito Control District
• Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
• North Carolina Department of Transportation
• North Dakota Department of Transportation
• University of Alaska-Fairbanks

 
About AUVSI
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics — represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org.