FAA Drone & AAM Symposium 2024 Key Takeaways & Future Predictions: DRONELIFE Exclusive by Dawn Zoldi

Reflections on the FAA Drone & AAM Symposium

DRONELIFE is honored to publish this Op-Ed by industry leader Dawn Zoldi on the talks and results of the recent FAA Drone and AAM Symposia, sponsored by the FAA and AUVSI. If you missed out, read on to get an inside look at the key messages delivered and the buzz on the floor.

By DRONELIFE Contributor Dawn Zoldi (USAF Colonel, Ret.)

Last week, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industries gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).‘with the 8th Drone and AAM Symposium. If the agency sticks to the milestones and timelines it has outlined panel by panel, expect 2025 to be a banner year. Here are my thoughts on some of the key points we heard.

BVLOS Rulemaking | Section 108 – The FAA plans to provide a draft rule either by the end of this year or early next year. (Note from last year‘Symposium aimed at repealing the rule this August.) Despite the fact that historically the FAA has pushed rules during the Christmas holidays (think: Remote ID),‘I’m betting on a launch after January 6th. Also in light of AUVSI President Michael Robbins‘ main effect comment “Let‘“Let us not allow perfection to become the enemy of goodness,” I‘I also think that, like Remote ID, the final BVLOS rule may look different from the proposal. Let‘there is only hope‘there is no lawsuit to delay it…

Section 2209 – This critical infrastructure (CI) protection rule, mandated by Congress back in 2016, is renewed‘dv 2018, and highlighted again in this past Reauth, will reportedly launch in conjunction with the BVLOS rule. It’s unclear if it will be part of part 108 or stand alone with the current push (much like Ops Over People and At Night launched with Remote ID). A given Congress‘ lack of forward movement on what I‘i will call “related” anti-UAS legislation (related only because several laws would provide critical infrastructure owners/operators with detection authority), this rule may be hyper-limited. And remember, the 2209 only aims to create a “bubble” around CI. It does not give CI owners/operators the power to monitor or mitigate anything that might burst that bubble. As such, even if this rule finally goes into effect, without further authority, in my view, the yin will remain without the yang unless Congress takes further action.

UAS Traffic Management (UTM) – UTM seems to be alive and well, at least on “key location” in the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) area – and especially beyond recent FAA announcement‘Wing and Zipline agree to conduct strategic deconfliction. Many may not realize that this process took several years. Now, one full year after the FAA announced Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP) for UTM that these companies used for these approvals, we have a total of 3 such approvals granted (first approved by the FAA Vantis, in North Dakota, under NTAP to implement UTM). Given some of the other timelines (e.g. several years for certificates), it’s still relatively fast. We hope to see more of these approvals soon. Speaking of “see,” despite the fact that the FAA‘The UTM website has great information, there is no site yet that publishes these NTAP approvals. As part of promoting transparency and supporting the industry with relevant information to succeed, we also hope that this will appear soon (similar Part 107, Exemptions Page).

Remote ID (RID) – Full transparency, I missed the session where people allegedly almost got into a fight over this topic, but I learned from DRONERESPONDERS that only about 25 percent of UAS users are RID compliant. What?! Will network RID enforcement matter in the latest Reauth? I’m not sure. But this safety and security gap, especially coupled with the lack of C-UAS authorities for those who need them to protect us, would make us all leave. “hmmmm…”

AAM – We’ve heard a lot about AAM and related milestones, from the completion of the long-awaited Special Vertical Runway (SVAR) regulations (this fall) to the certification of the first eVTOL aircraft (late 2025) for full operational capacity at the Los Angeles Olympics. (2028). These promises are tempered by a healthy dose of skepticism for many of us as we watched the over-the-top promises at the Paris Olympics | non-delivery on similar ““air taxi” flights. Even so, the interagency task force intends to publish a national AAM strategy in 2025, and AAM OEMs have shown relatively “strong” (including BETA, Joby, Supernal, Ferrovial, Archer technologies). There is still a lot of buzz and excitement around AAM. Perhaps the industry will move faster because, unlike small UAS, it is directly connected to traditional aviation (both general aviation and helicopters), even in terms of the necessary infrastructure (for example, helipads, helipads, helipads). On that note, it was also exciting to hear that even as research and development is underway, the FAA is planning its updates Vertiport Design document this year and next year to publish an Advisory Circular (AC).

At the end of the day, all these promises will have to be backed up with action. Both the drone industry and AAM need these laws, regulations and policies to thrive. We‘I have seen positive forward movement lately. Like AUVSI‘with Robbins noted, “We‘We’ve made more progress in the past year than we did a few years ago.” We‘all rely on even more, continued progress. I‘I’m not a betting type of person. But after attending last week‘Symposium, I‘I’ll put my money on the FAA to win.

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