The Alabama Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Force, the group in charge of establishing guidelines for drone operations to further the technology's usage in the state, recently met to come up with suggestions to submit to the governor.
According to a report from The Anniston Star, the group’s plan of action, written in a draft letter to Gov. Robert Bentley, is only that the Alabama Department of Transportation gain control in regulating UAS and that the group continue to meet and make recommendations for the agency.
Last summer, Gov. Bentley established the task force to “review Federal Aviation Administration requirements for drone use in Alabama and establish the necessary guidelines” for potential use in areas of agriculture, conservation and law enforcement. He set a date of Jan. 15 for the group to submit a statewide drone management plan.
The governor had said the group was to do the following: study the requirements for UAS operations in the state, as well as the process for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval; apply for necessary FAA waivers for UAS use in Alabama airspace; meet with stakeholders to discuss plans for UAS use; and recommend a statewide plan for UAS use.
The Anniston Star quotes group leader John McMillan as saying the task force has “a heck of a lot of work to do on this issue in Alabama.”
The full coverage can be found here.