Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, the Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, delivered the following statement at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee’s hearing, “U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Integration, Oversight, and Competitiveness.” The remarks are as prepared for delivery.

Thank you, Chairman LoBiondo, for calling today’s hearing on “U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Integration, Oversight, and Competitiveness.”

I appreciate you holding this hearing at my request.  Safety is, and must be, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) number-one priority. It is mine, and I know it is yours, as well.

We have looked at unmanned aircraft systems – or UAS – twice earlier this year, but last week’s reports of numerous near-collisions between UAS and manned aircraft are a stark reminder that the FAA must be prepared to ensure UAS operations are safe—both for those in the air and people on the ground. So this hearing is very timely.

The UAS industry has great potential to drive economic growth and create jobs, including in my district in Washington state, an epicenter of aviation R&D.

However, there is no doubt that there are near-term challenges. For example, the FAA says it receives about 25 reports each month from pilots who have seen unmanned aircraft or model aircraft operating near their aircraft, including some “near collisions.”

But we rise to challenges; we do not shrink from them. Consider these headlines with cautionary tales about aviation safety:

•         Planes Crash in Air; Man Killed[1]

•         Two Killed When They Crash In Air[2]

•         Crash in Air Kills Two:  Pilots Die When Two Machines Collide in Practice Flight[3]

These headlines are from nearly a century ago. I found more than 80 stories of this kind alone, all written before 1921. These reports could have caused the American public to give up on developing things that fly. But we didn’t.  Had we given up on commercial air travel then, we would not have the safe and efficient passenger airline system that we do today.

While our “near-collision” headlines reflect undeniable challenges that must be addressed, we must keep moving forward to ensure progress and competitiveness. But let me be clear:  Integration of UAS must never come at the expense of safety.

To help guide this large effort, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 set forth specific requirements and milestones for the FAA to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace system.

We have heard a number of concerns from industry that the FAA is not moving quickly enough. 

The Department of Transportation Inspector General reported in June that FAA had completed work toward nine of the milestones in the Act, but that the Agency was behind schedule on remaining milestones, including the more significant provisions.

The bill required the FAA to publish a rule on small UAS by August 14, 2014. We expect that rule soon. The bill also required the FAA to establish six test ranges for UAS research. 

However, while those test ranges are up and running, we continue to hear from stakeholders that they are not being fully utilized.

However, given the magnitude of the safety implications of incorporating this novel technology into our sophisticated and crowded airspace, we must give credit where credit is due.  The FAA is proceeding with caution, but is making progress.   

For example, section 333 of the Act also gave FAA the authority to authorize certain UAS operations on an interim basis in advance of the final rule on small UAS. 

The FAA has just begun using this authority and has granted several exemptions – including some just this morning. We must ensure that the agency allows prudent testing and operations to begin safely, even if on a limited basis. 

We have also heard concerns that other countries afford more flexible environments to test and operate UAS. While we must hold safety paramount, we do not want to fall needlessly behind.    

Privacy is another major concern that must be addressed. I share the public’s concerns about the implications of aerial surveillance from UAS operators, and I will work to ensure that privacy concerns are addressed through the proper channels.

Within the past two years, we have seen FAA make real progress on implementing NextGen capabilities with the strong bipartisan oversight of this Subcommittee under the leadership of Chairman LoBiondo. Our work on NextGen shows us the absolute necessity of the FAA’s collaboration with stakeholders—especially pilots and air traffic controllers—who will be directly affected by new technologies.  

Our goal with regard to UAS integration should be to keep safe integration on track so that we are not here in 2024 talking about a plan to integrate UAS into the airspace.

Finally, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to enter written remarks from MITRE into the record. MITRE is engaged in research and development for the FAA, and its input is critical as we look toward reauthorization. 

I look forward to hearing from all of our panelists about where we are today and what we can do to keep the integration of UAS on track and ensure safety. 

Thank you. 

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