FAA Chief Administrator Steve Dickson at AUVSI Xponential

AUVSI’s XPONENTIAL 2021 kicked off in Atlanta this week, and it’s clear from the buzz that the drone industry is happy to back and gathering again.

FAA Chief Administrator Steve Dickson  took the stage for a keynote addressed to a full – appropriately socially distanced – global audience of drone industry stakeholders.

Dickson comes from a manned aircraft background, as an executive for Delta Airlines, and his approach to drone integration reflects that: Dickson is justifiably proud of the safety record that the U.S. holds in aerospace, and made it clear that the public has a right to expect that safety record to continue.  After the requisite statement on safety, Dickson provided a valuable update on the progress of drone regulation and integration.

Trusted Integration

Dickson says that the FAA goal is “trusted integration.”  “Trusted Integration,” he says, “means that we have confidence that we’re all on the same page to get drones safely and efficiently…