AUVSI put it this way:
“Today’s release of the final small UAS rule by the FAA is a critical milestone in the integration process, and a long-awaited victory for American businesses and innovators. It establishes a clear regulatory framework and helps to reduce many barriers to civil and commercial operations, allowing anyone who follows the rules to fly in the national airspace.
“Accelerating civil and commercial UAS operations will not only help businesses harness tremendous potential of UAS, it will also help unlock the economic impact and job creation potential of the technology. Once UAS are fully integrated into the national airspace and become more widely used, the industry will continue to grow as a job creator and generate significant economic impact.
“Our economic report projects that the expansion of UAS technology will create more than 100,000 jobs and generate more than $82 billion to the economy in the first decade following integration. Whether it’s aiding search and rescue missions, advancing scientific research, responding to natural disasters, or helping farmers care for their crops, UAS are capable of saving time, saving money and most importantly, saving lives.
“The final rule allows for many uses of small UAS and a streamlined waiver process to expand applications. We are looking forward to additional rulemaking which has already begun with AUVSI’s [Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International] support, to enable more complex operations. We need to make sure we are doing all we can to support the UAS industry’s growth and development; otherwise we risk stunting a still-nascent industry and restricting the many beneficial uses of this technology.”
This is the beginning of the end to governmental objections to drone operations. They will either have to get on board or be hounded by local businesses about garnering their permissions and support for commercial operations in their jurisdictions. Politicians are always about job-creating growth industries, and this is one of them. Yes, there will be job displacements too. I would not plan on making a career out of pizza delivery at this point in the technology cycle.
For emergency managers, this commercial use and applications will loosen up any artificial knee-jerk political machinations that have been put in place — like those in King County, Wash. It won't happen overnight, but people and governments will be backtracking in the months and years ahead. Those that don't will be putting the safety and security of their citizens at risk when not embracing the technology.
And do the math:
One Helicopter: $2M-plus
Helicopter staffing and operations annually: $2M-plus a year
Highly capable drone ... $?
