Balancing Drone Proliferation and Public Concerns

Drone sightings in late 2024, especially along the East Coast of the United States, led to significant public apprehension and conjecture. People reported seeing drones over commercial and residential areas, critical infrastructure, and military installations. These incidents prompted investigations by several government agencies. Despite the alarm, thus far, public officials have consistently reported no evidence suggesting these were the result of nefarious activities, posed a public safety threat, or involved foreign entities.

Increasingly, drones are becoming an integral part of our daily life. There are now approximately one million registered drones in the United States split nearly evenly between recreational flyer registrations and commercial registrations. Thousands of drones are flown daily facilitating vital services such as bridge inspections and organ transplant delivery. Other drone flights taking place, such as package distribution, reduce congestion and pollution. Drones are also being used to streamline building, road, and railway inspections. The vast majority of these drone operations are conducted responsibly and within legal boundaries.

While vigilance regarding unauthorized drone operations cannot be taken lightly, it is crucial that drone flights continue expanding to ensure innovation, progress, and technical leadership. The future of flight is unmanned, and the United States needs to lead in unmanned flight as it did with manned flight almost 125 years ago.

For information on drone issues and drone law, reach out to attorneys Zaida McGhee and Tyler Hazen at dronelaw@angulomcghee.com.