The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yesterday issued a notice seeking public comments on its selection process for the six unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites that it must establish pursuant to the Federal Aviation Modernization and Reform Act and the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Specifically, the FAA is interested in hearing from UAS stakeholders on key questions regarding its selection process, such as whether the test sites should be publicly or privately managed, what their capabilities should be, and what type of requirements should be established for test site operators.

Selecting these test sites is a critical component of the congressionally mandated initiative to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) by 2015. In selecting test sites, the FAA is required to consider geographic and climatic diversity, the availability and location of ground infrastructure, and its research needs. The FAA must also consult with the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during its selection process.

The FAA will use the data collected at these six test sites to help develop certification standards and air traffic navigation requirements for UAS so that they can integrated safely into the NAS.

The FAA request for comments, including instructions for filing comments, will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, March 9, and comments will be accepted for 60 days. For information on how to submit comments regarding the test site selection process, or to learn more about the FAA’s UAS program, please click here.