Legislators participate in UAS symposium on drone integration

Cape May County, N.J. —   Congressman Frank LoBiondo and General Mark “Hoot” Gibson addressed a crowd of more than 150 drone industry representatives at the UAS Symposium at  Wildwood Museum’s Historic Hangar at the Cape May County Airport last week.

Gibson provided an overview of his responsibilities as the Federal Aviation Administration’s newly appointed senior advisor on UAS Integration, the restructuring at the FAA as well as the current status of UAS Integration at the FAA.  LoBiondo, chair of the Aviation Subcomittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, provided the symposium’s keynote address, which included the timing and composition of the new FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act.

LoBiondo and Gibson are supporting steps to ensure that the United States is competitive in the UAS market, forecast by some to have a domestic economic impact of more than $80 billion and the creation of more than  100,000 after full implementation of comprehensive commercial drone rules.

The symposium also included panel discussions by industry leaders on topics involving the current regulatory environment and legal setting; New Jersey’s role in UAS testing; emerging uses in UAS technology; evolution of a UAS workforce; as well as the business challenges facing UAS companies.