Before evaluating the FAA’s proposed rules for Remote ID (& Tracking), FAA docket number 2020-1100, we must consider the stakeholders, their interests, and their influence. Some of the stakeholders were represented in the 2017 FAA Aviation Rule-making Committee (ARC) for Remote ID and Tracking (of UAS).
They were law enforcement, national security, large corporations, commercial drone manufacturers, aviation authorities, and standards bodies (such as SAE and ANSI). Glaringly not represented were recreational UAS (RUAS) interests and the giant corporations who intend to provide drone delivery services.
Let’s stick for now to the major stakeholders, and examine what their interests and influence might be in shaping such game-changing rules.
Law Enforcement: want to be able to stop drones in the commission of crimes, track them after the fact, and legally tie a specific drone to a specific individual. Their political influence is considerable, financial influence limited. Their desires manifest in the ability to identify drones, disable them as required, and destroy them if necessary. They also want to be able to use drones for surveillance, monitoring, and policing of the citizenry.
National Security: these folks want nothing more than complete visibility of and control of the skies in the national airspace. Their political influence is huge, and financial influence considerable. They want Real-Time visibility of all aircraft in the national airspace, and the ability to disable or destroy any aircraft at will, as deemed necessary. They also want to use drones for surveillance, intelligence-gathering, and population monitoring.
Drone Manufacturers: want profit, plain and simple. With no allegiance to any nationality or legal/ethical code, the sky is the limit for them. Their political influence is considerable, and financial influence huge. They want anything that will sell – anything that will make them a profit.
Service Providers: are hungry for a piece of the pie, and want anything they can get. Their political influence is not negligible, but their financial influence (when not united) is minimal. They want any opportunities they can scavenge from the new rules, and any crumbs they can get from the major players.
Standards Bodies: want accord on technical and operational aspects of UAS, in order to create standards for performance and interoperability. Their political influence is small, as is their financial influence.
Not represented in the ARC (but still cogent to any drone discussion) are the following:
Giant corporations: they want to be able to make a giant profit on delivery (and other) services, and now. Their political and financial influence are huge. They are the real fiddler playing the tune the others dance to, and what they want is simple; unimpeded access to the skies, in order to make unfathomable profits providing commercial drone deliveries and related services.
Recreational Fliers: want nothing more than to continue flying as they have been , relatively unimpeded in the limited airspace allowed them. Their political influence is almost nil (when not united) and their financial influence the same – nil. They are the party least likely to be heard, represented, or accommodated in these issues.
The objectives, strategies, and goals of each of the players can be discerned not only in their white papers, proposals, and lobbying, but in their technical and operational projects and focus. Their influence can be evaluated by seeing how closely what they desire is mirrored in the proposed (and eventual, actual) rules. The report of the ARC stated there was a division in objectives between the members of the forum. Understanding their goals and influence can help us determine who wants what, and who gets what.
One thing seems certain, the recreational fliers will not get what they want. All that is to be determined is which of the remaining players get their will (and how much of it they get). Understanding these issues may help us decode the convoluted process that imposing more regulations on the airspace entails.
A Brave New Drone World 