I have been a little mystified when or if the FAA is going to produce a set of sUAS rules, especially with some of the language in the looming FAA re-authorization bill. And when the FAA pushes its NPRM deadline back several times because of "Unanticipated issues requiring further analysis" it does not exactly instill confidence. Well today as an attendee of the UAS Summit in Grand Forks, ND, I had the chance to hear the current status from the horses mouth. Rick Prosek, the manager at the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Program Office stated the following points.
-The FAA internal sUAS rule making team had reached "concurrence" just this last month (5/11)
-He anticipates publishing the NPRM in the fall of 2011
-The final rule will most likely be enacted mid 2013
Now I understand that this may not be a dramatic change from what has already been projected, but for me it was mildly re-assuring to hear the updated timeline from a real human being.
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