A drone sits on a table at SRC Inc. in Cicero during the June 2016 announcement about a drone-industry convention that happened in Syracuse and Rome that November. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Central New York say they support New York’s application for an FAA unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS) integration pilot program (IPP). (Eric Reinhardt / BJNN file photo)
U.S. Reps. John Katko (R–Camillus), Claudia Tenney (R–New Hartford), and Elise Stefanik (R–Willsboro) this week urged President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to support New York’s application for the FAA unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS) integration pilot program (IPP).
Winning designation as an IPP site will allow Central New York to “continue its development as a competitive, economic hub for innovation and research in the industry,” the lawmakers said in a news release that Katko’s office issued Thursday.
Under the UAS integration-pilot program, state, local, and tribal governments can partner with businesses to “accelerate safe” UAS integration, the lawmakers said.
It’s expected the program will provide “immediate opportunities” for new and expanded commercial UAS operations; foster a “meaningful” dialogue on the balance between local and national interests related to UAS integration; and provide “actionable” information to the DOT on “expanded and universal” integration of UAS into the national airspace system (NAS).
New York submitted its proposal with the support of more than 60 local municipalities, businesses, tribal nations, state authorities, and state agencies that are teaming up on the application.
The NUAIR Alliance, which operates and manages the UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome is a “key partner” in this initiative, the lawmakers said. NUAIR Alliance is short for the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, which is headquartered at Griffiss International Airport.
“We are proud of our industry leading capabilities such as our unparalleled State investments, cutting-edge research in both UAS technology and UAS policy, and our proven New York test site team all of which are the basis of our comprehensive UAS integration pilot-program proposal,” Major General Marke F. (Hoot) Gibson (ret), CEO of the NUAIR Alliance, contended in the release. “Furthermore the collaboration and bipartisan engagement that supports these efforts, and drives our recent success, will enable us to advance the goals and missions of the IPP program.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
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