Aeronautical experts advocate for drone industry standards

When companies need an important project completed with drone assistance, how can they differentiate between drone operators as all claim to be the best? As the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) business has expanded exponentially in recent years, and the number of certificated remote pilots has grown even more since 2016, quality, proficiency, and pilot currency assurances to industry have struggled to keep a similar pace.

As the need for drone use grows in myriad categories, from agriculture to construction to inspections, to archeological excavations, businesses need to know that the training and capacity of the pilots they hire meets expectations and won’t put the company at risk.

Without uniform standards to go by, businesses “don’t always know what the level of competency they are getting” with a given pilot, says Joseph Cerreta, assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “They may have just hired someone who may or may not be certified. Do they want to take…