U.S. Skies Could See More Drones

FEBRUARY 3, 2012, 3:50 P.M. ET.

U.S. Skies Could See More Drones

FAA Bill Sets Deadlines to Speed Up Use of Unmanned Planes Nationwide.

By ANDY PASZTOR

Drones could soon expand far away from the battlefield to U.S. skies following agreement over a broad Federal Aviation Administration funding bill this week.

The four-year spending bill for the first time establishes specific deadlines designed to speed up the widespread use of unmanned planes, or drones, across the U.S. On Friday, the House passed the package in a 248-169 vote. The Senate is expected to approve the bill next week.

By September 2015, the bill calls for integrating a wide range of so-called unmanned aerial vehicles—operated by both governmental and corporate entities—with commercial and general aviation traffic across the nation's skies.

Unmanned aircraft currently can fly only in restricted areas over the U.S. That has kept their numbers low. Most are operated by federal agencies for law-enforcement or security purposes.

But under the FAA bill, proponents envision huge fleets of drones operated nationwide by states, local governments and companies. Unmanned aircraft can be as small as a hummingbird or have the wingspan of an airliner.

Among their uses are environmental monitoring, fire protection and surveillance of suspected criminals. Other potential roles include industrial jobs such as checking power lines and tracking equipment.

The $63-billion FAA bill, which was approved by House and Senate negotiators earlier this week, caps five years of disputes and nearly two dozen stopgap FAA funding bills. That short-term funding hampered the FAA's ability to plan and pay for certain long-term programs.

Among those delayed programs were FAA plans to speed up modernization of the nation's air-traffic control system. The agency wants to use GPS satellites as the backbone of a new system, dubbed NextGen, replacing the ground-based radars that are now standard. The ultimate goal is to rely on satellite signals to help pilots to set their own courses, fly more direct routes and keep track of surrounding aircraft, saving both time and fuel.

The funding package mandates that within five years, planes taking off and landing at the 35 busiest U.S. airports fly routes based on satellite navigation. Designed to save fuel, reduce emissions and alleviate congestion, the routes would have to be in place at practically all airports a year later, according to the FAA bill.

To encourage airlines to eventually rely entirely on the proposed, satellite-based system, the bill also authorizes creation of a first-of-its-kind federal loan-guarantee program specifically aimed at funding new airline-navigation equipment.

Together, the unmanned aircraft and air-traffic-control provisions push the agency to move faster in implementing changes long sought by industry groups. The FAA has moved cautiously in both areas, partly out of safety concerns and partly due to lack of clear congressional direction.

Now the legislation locks in stable funding and puts the onus on the agency to quickly launch a flurry of initiatives and studies in both areas. FAA officials will have to report progress to lawmakers regularly and, within a few years, are obligated to demonstrate significant advances.

Yet major challenges still confront many of the congressionally imposed deadlines.

Drone manufacturers, local governments and business groups have long complained about the FAA's go-slow approach to allowing unmanned and manned aircraft to share the same airspace. The bill, among other things, requires the FAA to move expeditiously to phase in operation of smaller drones and establish six test areas nationwide to demonstrate safety technology.

But barely hours after the 374-page bill became public, pilot union officials urged a more deliberate approach. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents 53,000 pilots across North America, told reporters his organization remains worried about safety issues such as training and certification of those flying unmanned aircraft.

Safety experts also have raised questions about the ability of sensors aboard unmanned aircraft to properly detect a nearby plane, and to assure immediate action to avoid a midair collision.

"At some point, the FAA has to get its arms" around such safety concerns "and answer those basic questions," Mr. Moak said Thursday.

An FAA spokeswoman said the agency doesn't comment on pending legislation.

Air-traffic control updates have been blocked by economic concerns. Most airlines have balked at making significant investments in new technology until they start reaping benefits from technology they already have but seldom use under the current ground-based navigation system.

Carriers also have held off making commitments until they see a more comprehensive and binding upgrade plan approved by the FAA, and buttressed by support from other federal agencies and White House budget officials.

The bill calls for the first phase of the upgrades to be in place by 2020.

Airlines for America, an industry group representing the largest U.S. carriers, praised the bill for including benchmarks and deadlines. Such accountability, it said, is "critical to ensuring that passengers and carriers realize the benefits" of air-traffic control upgrades.

Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com

FAA Bill Speeds Path for More U.S. Drone Flights - WSJ.com