Mollohan said there are plenty of civilian applications for unmanned aircraft.  "Law enforcement needs them … homeland security and the Coast Guard need them … the Forest Service needs them, FEMA needs them … in the civilian world, we see not just potential for UAVs, but real demand for them."

Echoing the comments made by several other speakers during the three days, he said, "We can’t yet meet that demand. Why not? Industry representatives are shouting, sure we can, we can meet that demand right now, just give us the go ahead. What matters here is what the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] thinks, and the FAA is not there yet."

Mollohan said the safety of UAS in the National Airspace System must be paramount, and "Congress will not mandate that integration until the FAA agrees that it’s safe."

The FAA reauthorization bill passed by the House—and awaiting action in the Senate—says FAA must develop a plan to allow such flight by no later than 30 Sept., 2013, although he said that’s "the legislative equivalent of a stretch goal” and "Congress would not force compliance if the FAA comes to us, say in the summer of 2013, and tells us the technology isn’t there."

Mollohan said, "I do think the FAA gets it. It’s my sense that they do understand the demand. … I’m committed to the day when unmanned systems operate in the skies over Morgantown just as they do in the mountains of Afghanistan."

Costello said he also "strongly supports efforts to integrate the UAV safely into the National Airspace System."

He recently spoke to his granddaughter’s school class and was asked by an eighth grader, "are we going to be able to get these unmanned vehicles more involved in Iraq and Afghanistan to save lives?" That kind of question "tells you that your industry has come a long way," he said.

He also said the FAA reauthorization bill—developed with input from AUVSI—would "set realistic deadlines. … We intend to put that into law instead of just relying on the FAA to meet their own self-imposed deadlines."

He told the attendees that the way they can help to have UAS in the National Airspace System is to work with AUVSI, "but all of you have a member of Congress that represents you. Stay in touch with your member of Congress, make certain they understand the role that UAVs can play."