The Feds Just Put the US Back in the Global Drone Race

After months of delays and much anticipation, the Federal Aviation Administration finally released its final rule on small drones. The rule represents an important, long-delayed step toward establishing comprehensive regulations for flying small unmanned aerial systems and integrating them into the national airspace. Industry experts have argued for years that the United States risked falling behind in the burgeoning drone market and missing out on countless opportunities for growth. The new rule should expand the growth of the US commercial drone industry, catalyze American innovation in the global marketplace, and maintain the technological superiority of US military drones. But there's work left to do.