A new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “pilot program” — no pun presumably intended — meant to “accelerate the deployment of advanced air mobility vehicles” will craft what a statement called “new frameworks and regulations for enabling safe operations.”
That, in turn, could lead to reduced road congestion in cities, improved “connectivity” in rural areas, and better emergency and medical services.
First, though, the new program, focused on electrical vertical takeoff and landing craft, needs public-private partnerships that include state and local agencies.
They have until Dec. 11 to submit proposals to the FAA that contain ideas about testing and validating “operational concepts that can be scaled to national and international applications.”
“The next great technological revolution in aviation is here. The United States will lead the way, and doing so will cement America’s status as a global leader in transportation innovation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in the statement. “That means more high-paying manufacturing jobs and economic opportunity. By safely testing the deployment of these futuristic air taxis and other [advanced air mobility] vehicles, we can fundamentally improve how the traveling public and products move.”
The request for proposals comes months after President Donald Trump signed executive orders meant to encourage more use of drones in public safety — a hot segment of the government technology business — and the employment of AI during the drone waiver process.
Drones could find use in other tasks that involve the public sector, too. For instance, Pennsylvania has proposed using drones to collect wounded game.
