They Said That? 11/24/14

From the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):

In a statement, the FAA said it is working to “integrate unmanned aircraft into the busiest, most complex airspace system in the world—and to do so while we maintain our mission—protecting the safety of the American people in the air and on the ground. That is why we are taking a staged approach to the integration of these new airspace users.”

The Wall Street Journal, “Drone Flights Face FAA Hit,” 11/24/14

“Staged approach” is a euphemism for taking six years and counting to promulgate the regulations that will supposedly provide the foundation for the commercial use of drones. It won’t be much of a foundation. According to the story, the rules will apply to all drones weighing less than 55 pounds. Their flights will be limited to daylight hours, will be required to remain below 400 feet and within sight of the operator, who must be a certified pilot of manned aircraft. In other words, the regulations will kill a nascent industry before it ever gets off the ground. Canada, on the other hand, will issue a blanket approval this month of all drones weighing less than 4.4 pounds “as long as they comply with certain safety standards, such as altitude limits and no-fly zones around airports.” First Keystone and now this—the country that powered the Industrial Revolution now waits on bureaucrats and politicians to decide the fates of businesses and entire industries.