US Program Aims to Open Airspace to More Drones

(Credit: Shutterstock) Many stories about drones are sensationalized. It’s easy to use broad language that gives the impression that drones will soon be zooming over us delivering goods. That’s not true. Now that I’ve beaten down your dreams, let me build you up just a little bit. A new program in the United States could actually lead to a life where drones drop medicine at your doorstep and are border patrol agents. Just not in the next year or two, or three, for that matter. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced 10 state, local and tribal government participants for its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. The program aims to help solve the many challenges of integrating drones into the airspace. “Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao ...