ARLINGTON, Va. — In prepared testimony for the House Small Business Committee, AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne today emphasized the impact that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can have on small businesses and encouraged integration of these systems into the National Airspace System. Wynne also called for Congress to pass and the president to sign an FAA reauthorization measure before the current authorization expires this September.



“UAS increase human potential, allowing us to execute dangerous or difficult tasks safely and efficiently. From inspecting pipelines and surveying bridges to filming movies and providing farmers with aerial views of their crops, the applications of UAS are virtually limitless and offer a superior way to see what needs to be seen, in less time and at less expense. It’s no wonder businesses – small and large – are clamoring to use this technology,” Wynne said in prepared remarks.



“Since Congress tasked the FAA with creating UAS regulations in 2012, the technology has gone from a specialized tool to a must-have business asset. The flood of commercial exemption requests to the FAA shows that a mature UAS commercial market is waiting to be unleashed.”



Since the exemption process began in May 2014, more than 700 businesses have received permission to operate UAS commercially, the vast majority of which are small businesses. Wynne highlighted three such businesses in his testimony: PrecisionHawk, an aerial surveying company based in North Carolina; Aerial Mob, a California-based film company; and Realtor Douglas Trudeau, who uses UAS to photograph his listings in Arizona. The success of these businesses, Wynne said, demonstrates the need for the FAA to finalize the rules for small UAS as soon as possible in order to establish a framework “that will allow anyone who follows the rules to fly.”



“The FAA continues to approve about 50 new commercial operations a week, a process that has been recently streamlined,” Wynne said. “However, this current system of case-by-case approvals – whether streamlined or not – isn’t a long-term solution for the many small businesses wanting to fly.”



“As an industry, we want to see the integration of UAS proceed and without any further delays. It’s important that the FAA finalize the small UAS rules as quickly as possible. . . the integration will establish rules for the commercial use of UAS so that small businesses from every industry sector can take advantage of this innovative technology,” he said.



Additionally, Wynne urged Congress to move forward with a FAA reauthorization measure before the current one expires on Sept. 30, 3015, to expand the ability of small businesses to use UAS commercially and encourage innovation and collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders.



According to a 2013 economic impact study by AUVSI, the UAS industry stands to create more than 100,000 new jobs and more than $82 billion in economic impact within the first ten years following UAS integration.



About AUVSI:

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) — the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics — represents more than 7,500 members from 60+ allied countries involved in the fields of government, industry and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.