Subcommittee on Oversight and Management

Unmanned Aerial System Threats Subcommittee on Oversight and Management

When most people think of unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, commonly known as drones, they may think of large aircraft used in overseas combat operations. However, in the coming years, the majority of UAS will be small-55 pounds or less-many of which fly less than 400 feet above the ground. Small UAS have a variety of potential uses such as pipeline, utility, and farm inspections, aerial photography, and crop-dusting, among other uses. The Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, has released proposed rules to allow for the operation of small UAS for non-recreational purposes into domestic airspace. The proposed rules would place numerous limitations on flying small UAS: Flights could take place only in daylight, the area of operations would be limited, and only visual-line-of-sight operations would be permitted.